Rumors
by kohitsujichan
Summary: A somewhat compromising photo of Ren and Kyouko is leaked to the press. Rumors and drama ensue.
1. Chapter 1 The Photo

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"How did this happen?" Kyouko wailed.

"Calm down, Mogami-san," Ren said. "It's really nothing to get upset over."

"Nothing to get upset over? Nothing to get upset over? It's a disaster. I can't imagine anything worse. What if this destroys your career? I can see the headlines now, 'Fledgling Actress, Kyouko Brings Down God-like Actor Tsuruga Ren By Destroying His Popularity Among Females With her Thoughtless Actions.' I can't be responsible for that. We have to explain. We have to hold a press conference. We have to tell everyone it was all my fault. I made a terrible mistake! I never meant to— to do _that_!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, holding up his hands as if to stem the flow of her words. "First of all, Don't you think that's a little too long for an article title?"

The actual title of the article glaring up at them from the LoveMe room table was 'Romance On Set?'

Kyouko pouted, but finally stopped panicking and started listening.

"Second, my popularity is hardly going to be ruined by one tiny little incident, third a press conference is entirely unnecessary, and finally, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

Kyouko stared at him. "Tsuruga-san, you really don't know the rabid mind of a female fan, do you?"

Ren chuckled. "Why do you say that?"

"Your fans want to fantasize! They want to believe, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, that they have a chance with you. If they don't have that, they might move on to some other entertainer. Though I suppose that this happening with some plain, boring girl like me might give the illusion that if you're ok with me, you'd be ok with anyone, that average girls are your type, so you might be able to get away with it just this once, but we can't waste any time! We have to explain quickly!"

Ren sighed. "You are not plain, boring, or average, Mogami-san. I doubt anyone would look at you and think that if I'd take you, I'd take anyone."

"But you're _the_ Tsuruga Ren, and I'm just me," she said.

"You're not _just_ anything," he said, offering her a warm smile.

"A—anyway, we have to destroy all the evidence, then we can explain to everyone who was there and beg them not to say anything," she said, blushing under his gaze.

"That's really not necessary, Mogami-san. Besides, the photo's already been printed, and it'll all blow over soon enough anyway," he said.

In truth, he just didn't want to have to delete the photos. It would be pointless anyway. Even if he deleted the precious items from his phone and computer right now, he wouldn't be able to get Yashiro to delete his copies even if he held a gun to his head, and there was already one on the cover of a gossip magazine. Even with Kyouko's determination, he doubted very much that she would be able to track down every copy of the article and destroy it.

"I guess that's true," she said, pouting. "No one will be worried. No one would think for a second that _the _Tsuruga Ren would l—lo— have romantic feelings for someone like me."

Ren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on.

"Eh? No way! That's not true!" Yashiro said, bursting into the room. Ren wondered exactly how long he'd been standing outside the door eavesdropping before his fangirl heart couldn't take it anymore.

Kyouko let out a little squeak and covered her mouth. "Yashiro-san! Don't sneak up on me like that! You scared me!"

"Sorry, Kyouko-chan, but I couldn't help myself. You were saying such ridiculous things! I mean, look," he said, producing his wallet. A long stream of photos fluttered out, extending from the wallet and reaching down to form a pile on the floor.

"What is that?" she shrieked.

"Pictures of you and Ren," he said matter-of-factly. "See? This is during a break on the set of Dark Moon. Oh, sorry, there are quite a few like that. I tried to get different angles. Oh, and here's one from when you were on location in Karuizawa. Here you are having lunch together. Oh, here you are together at LA Hearts. Here's one in the elevator (it's a still from the security camera). Here's one in the LoveMe room. Oh, and here are some stills from the Dark Moon party. I couldn't get those shots myself because the flash would have interfered with the lighting during the interview, so I had to get them from the broadcast later, but here are some from the party itself. See? You generated quite a lot of buzz that night. So many people commented on how good you looked together. So you see, no one would find it the least bit strange for Ren to be in love with you. Ah, but the latest one is definitely my favorite! You're both so cute together all—"

"Yashiro," Ren said with a tight smile. "Why don't you put those away." _Or burn them._

"Ah, right," he said. "Sorry, Kyouko-chan. I got a little carried away."

Kyouko shook her head, waving off his apology, but his little show had certainly set her mind spinning. Her eyes were wide, her face pale, and it looked like a million thoughts were buzzing around inside her head.

"Mogami-san," Ren said, trying to pull her out of her thoughts before it was too late, "you really don't need to worry. People certainly won't think it at all odd for us to be together, but neither will they automatically assume that we _are_ together from one little incident."

"But, your reputation—"

"Is not that fragile," he said. "Now why don't you calm down and simply act as you normally would. If there are any repercussions, we will deal with them as they come, _together_."

Kyouko swallowed a lump in her throat. "Really? Is it really ok to just do nothing?"

"It's fine Mogami-san. Despite his stalker-like tendencies," Ren said with a severe glare at his manager, "Yashiro is actually quite capable. He's squashed rumors before, and if it comes to it, we can always rely on President Takarada."

"That's right," Kyouko said, perking up. "Tsuruga-san, you're such a playboy, Yashiro-san must have had to squash hundreds, even thousands of rumors!"

"Um, well, no, not _that_ man—"

"It must be hard for you, Yashiro-san! Well, I'm sorry to give you more work, but I'll be counting on you," she said with a bright smile.

"Um, no Kyouko-chan, really those rumors from before were mostly just women going after Ren one-sidedly. Not like _you_, Kyouko-chan," Yashiro said.

"You're right," Kyouko said.

Yashiro and Ren both looked at her, wondering if, for once, she understood the underlying meaning of Yashiro's words.

"Since I'm not pursuing Tsuruga-san, hopefully it will be even more insignificant than those other incidents," she said.

"Um, yes…well…" Yashiro trailed off.

"We ought to be going," Ren said, glancing at his watch.

"Ah, yes. Have a good shoot, Tsuruga-san. Goodbye, Yashiro-san," she said, bowing to them.

"Bye Kyouko-chan," Yashiro said.

"Goodbye. Have a good day." Ren said, " And Mogami-san, don't spend all day hiding in the LoveMe room. People will think you have something to hide."

**AN: So, it seems that I seriously can't write unless I have something big and important I should be doing...like studying for my midterm tomorrow. Oh well! This story probably won't end up being very long, but it's got a few more chapters coming. Thanks for reading! Hope you like it. I always appreciate hearing what you think, so if you'd like to let me know, leave me a review :D **


	2. Chapter 2 Denial

**I still don't own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko closed the door behind Ren and Yashiro before attempting to breathe again.

"Stupid heavenly smile," she grumbled, walking back into the room. "It shouldn't be allowed. It's a health risk. What's he going to do if the entire female population of Japan get's high blood pressure from that thing?"

"What's going to cause high blood pressure?" Kanae asked.

Kyouko started. She hadn't heard Kanae come into the room over the sound of her own mumbling. She recovered quickly though, spinning on her heals, launching herself at her friend and shouting, "Mouko-san!"

"Mou!" she grunted, stopping the assault of the Kyouko-torpedo with a quick palm to the forehead. "Can't you greet people properly?"

"But, Mouko-san," Kyouko wailed, "it's perfectly normal to have skinship between friends!"

"I can see that," Kanae said, eyeing the magazine on the table.

Kyouko's eyes followed her best friend's gaze.

"It's not what you think!" she shrieked, snapping up the article and holding the picture side to her chest and out of sight.

Kanae smirked."Oh isn't it?"

"No, I swear! I don't even know how it happened. We were just sitting together. Honest! I never meant for this to happen!"

"Mou! You jump to conclusions way too fast," Kanae said.

"Well, but wouldn't— wouldn't most people think—"

"Oh, I see," Kanae said. "So in your eyes, I don't know you any better than 'most people.' Even though you know my biggest secrets and I thought you told me yours, I guess, I'm no better than anybody else."

"No!" Kyouko screamed, dropping to Kanae's feet with tears flooding from her eyes. "Mouko-san! Please don't think that way! You know me better. You definitely know me the best! I should have known you would understand! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please don't stop being friends with my unworthy self."

"Enough! Get up! I won't stop being your friend if you stop all this crying and stand up."

"Thank you, Mouko-san!" Kyouko said, rising to her feet. "You're the best friend anyone could ever hope for!"

"Yeah, yeah I know. Now go wash your face. I can't believe how irresponsible you are. As an actress, you have to be ready for the camera at all times. You never know who could be looking."

Kyouko stiffened as she recalled the flood of photographs from Yashiro's wallet.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you moving?" Kanae asked.

"Nothing," she said, shaking herself back into reality. "Just thinking about how right you are."

"Of course I'm right," Kanae said. "Now get cleaned up. Don't you have work to do?"

"Well, yes," Kyouko said, splashing water on her face. "But it doesn't really matter what I look like. No one is going to see my face."

"You're still playing that mascot?" Kanae asked. Kyouko really should have been able to get better jobs after Dark Moon was over and Box R started airing. She'd even been given a guest role on Tsuruga Ren's new drama. She should have been able to quit playing that giant chicken.

She emerged refreshed, tearstains gone. "It's actually a lot of fun," she said. "And it's my first real job. I don't want to let go of it that easily."

Kanae eyed here friend. Her image screamed 'cute girl,' not 'dopey comedic rooster.'

"The public would be shocked to find out that _you_ were Bo," Kanae chuckled.

Kyouko's eyes filled with concern.

"Mou! I'm not telling anyone. Geez!"

"Thank you, Mouko-san!" Kyouko said.

"Less thanking, more getting ready," Kanae said. "My next job is on the way to TBM, so I'll walk with you part way."

Kyouko's eyes sparkled and seemed to have grown to encompass half of her face, but she refrained from attacking Kanae with hugs and finished getting ready.

Kanae said goodbye to Kyouko a few blocks from TBM and Kyouko continued alone, a blissful smile on her face.

"Hello, everyone!" she said, smile unwavering as she came upon the Ishibashis.

"Hi, Kyouko-chan," They greeted in return.

"Did something good happen?" Shin'ichi asked.

Yuusei elbowed him in the side, and Hikaru slumped down a little in his chair.

"What? He wanted to know?" he defended.

Kyouko laughed. "Nothing in particular. I guess I'm just in a good mood because I got to see Mouko-san."

"Oh, is that all?" Shin'ichi asked. "I thought it might have had something to do with Tsuruga Ren."

Kyouko paled, then turned bright red. Since talking to Kanae, she'd completely forgotten about the whole thing. When Shin'ichi brought it up, it came crashing back into her consciousness.

"It's not what it looked like! It was a complete accident! There's nothing going on between us. It was all my fault. I didn't know anyone else there, so we sat together, but it was a really long drive and I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, so I couldn't help it. I know I should have paid more attention to my surroundings, and it was really embarrassing, but he said it wasn't a big deal, but then that article came out and now everybody's going to think I'm some crazed Tsuruga Ren fan—"

"Whoa, Kyouko-chan, calm down," Hikaru said, perking up. "Nobody's going to think that. Um…well, we're in the entertainment business too, so we know how rumors work. We were just concerned for you."

"Yeah, it's no big deal, Kyouko-chan," Yuusei said.

"Yeah. And if you want to help get rid of the rumors faster, I'm sure leader would date you," he said.

"No, no, no! That's impossible! I couldn't impose on you like that!" she said. "Anyway, Tsuruga-san said it would be ok, so I'll just wait for now. I just didn't want any misunderstandings with my sempais. Anyway, I'd better go get ready. It takes a while to get into costume."

Kyouko bowed and ducked out of the room to go change into her Bo costume.

"Well, I tried," she heard Shin'ichi say, followed by the sound of a smack.

Kyouko suited up and became Bo the Rooster. She didn't have time to focus on her personal life. She had a job to do. If she had learned anything from her sempai, it was professionalism.

**AN: Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, subscribed...and anything else I'm forgetting. Hope you're enjoying it! Leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. Happy Halloween! **


	3. Chapter 3 Snowballing

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Yesterday had been a stressful day. Kyouko had woken up late for her Box R shoot and barely made it before they were scheduled to start. Everything had been fine until the shoot was over and she finally got a chance to speak with her costars. That was when she had been made aware of the exposure of her fatal mistake.

"Is it true you're dating Tsuruga Ren?" Honami asked as soon as filming finished.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. The question had come out of nowhere.

"Are you leaving the LoveMe section?" Chiori asked sadly.

"What? No! Where did that come from?" she asked.

Honami pulled a magazine out of her locker. "This came out this morning."

"Eh?" Kyouko shrieked, holding the magazine closer to her face, trying to discover some mistake. But there was no mistake. It was undeniably Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyouko together on the cover in a rather compromising position. She had been embarrassed enough to find herself in that position, but now to have to explain it was almost worse than the actual event.

She had explained it. It seemed like she'd spent all day explaining and panicking by turns. She'd first explained everything to the cast and crew of Box R, then hightailed it to LME and the relative safety of the LoveMe room, leaving a garbled voicemail for Ren on the way. She didn't have any other jobs until Kimagure Rock, so she hid out until Ren came to meet her and discuss the situation. Then, she'd had to explain to Kanae, then the Ishibashi Oniisans, then, when she got home, she'd even had to explain to The Taisho and Okami-san. By the time she got to bed, she'd been so exhausted, she'd thought for sure she would collapse, but worrisome thoughts plagued her all night, so she'd barely slept.

She'd woken up from a very short, very poor sleep, with bags under her eyes and no color in her cheeks. And today, she had school. As she walked down the halls, she could feel everyone's eyes on her and pick out whispers of "Tsuruga Ren," "Kyouko," "that girl." It was like her grade school and middle school years with Shou all over again.

When she made it to the classroom, a very cheerful Nanokura Mimori made her way up to Kyouko.

"Good morning, Mogami-san," she said, smile overly bright. She was almost humming with positive energy.

"Good morning, Nanokura-san," Kyouko said, and tried to pass her to take her seat.

"Mimori saw that magazine you're in," she said.

'And so it begins,' Kyouko thought.

"Mimori is really grateful to you," she said.

Kyouko quirked a tired eyebrow at the smiling girl. "What for?"

"For showing your true colors," she said, never dropping her smile. "Now that everyone can see that you're after Tsuruga Ren, maybe now you'll stop bothering Shou-chan and let he and Mimori have peaceful lovey-dovey days together."

Kyouko was ready to scream out her denial, just like she had to everyone else who'd asked her about the article, but as she processed Mimori's words, she stopped.

It took all the strength she could manage not to give her standard response that she didn't want anything to do with Fuwa Shou, but she took a deep breath and let it go.

"Ok, you caught me," she said, face deadpan, voice monotone. "You two have fun together then."

Mimori jumped up and down and let out a little cheer before getting out of Kyouko's way so she could study.

Instead of things calming down as the day went on, she seemed to be getting even more stares, more whispers. She caught phrases like "admitted it," "dumped him," and "love triangle." She had no idea what was going on, but she tried to do as Ren had instructed her and shrug it off.

That didn't seem to work.

Kyouko was called to the principal's office shortly after the lunch period began.

"Excuse me," she said, knocking on the principal's door. "I was called?"

"Ah, yeas, Mogami-san, please come in and have a seat."

Kyouko did as she was told.

"Mogami-san, do you know why I've called you here?" the principal asked.

"Um…is it about that magazine?" she asked.

"Well, that's part of it," the principal said.

"I swear it's all a misunderstanding! It's really not what it looks like. Tsuruga-san and I don't have that sort of relationship!"

"Calm down, Mogami-san," the principal said with a warm smile. "You're not in trouble. I've been a principal for many years, and I've come to realize that as long as a school has students, it will have rumors. They mey not be pleasant in any situation, but as a celebrity, those rumors may be more damaging to you than they would be an average student."

Kyouko blushed at the term 'celebrity' being used in reference to her.

"I simply called you in today, Mogami-san, to let you know what has come to my attention and to give you the opportunity to contact your agency before these rumors leak out any further. I'm sorry to say that, in this day and age, we cannot keep things confined within the school walls as we once could."

The principal then turned the computer monitor on the desk toward Kyouko.

"As you can see, Mogami-san, you're already all over Twitter, Ameblo and a number of celebrity gossip sites. I think it would be wise for you to go to your agency immediately. I will excuse your absence for the rest of the day."

Kyouko's eyes widened as her gaze swept across the computer screen. It was full of sites the principal had mentioned, and those sites were full of gossip about Kyouko and the men in her life.

"Yes, thank you very much. I believe I'll take your offer," Kyouko said, bowing, to take her leave. Her mind then began processing some of the words on the computer screen and she let out an ear-splitting shriek.

"I DID WHAT TO SHOU?"

As soon as she recovered from the shock of the horrible, unspeakable, lies, also known as rumors, she hightailed it to LME, where she was ushered immediately up to the president's office.

"Mogami-kun!" he greeted her, his face twisted into the expression of the cat who ate the canary. "Come in, come in. Have a seat. How's my precious number one LoveMe member doing?"

"I— They're saying— I didn't—" she stuttered.

"Ah, good, Ren, and Yashiro-san have arrived," he said, glancing over her head, "Come have a seat right next to Mogami-kun, will you? Let's talk strategy."

Kyouko paled.

Ren sighed.

Yashiro squealed.

**AN: Why do I have another test in the same class two days after the mid term? So I will be inspired to write, of course! Thanks again to everyone, reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I appreciate it :D If you'd like to let me know what you think, feel free to leave me a review.**


	4. Chapter 4 Wait and C

**Sorry for the horrible pun. Also, I do not own Skip Beat!**

"I hear some rumors have been going on about Mogami-kun and yourself, Ren," President Takarada said, stepping into the gondola that furnished the seating.

"Yes, but, with all due respect, President Takarada, I hardly think a strategic meeting is necessary over such a little incident," Ren said.

The President grinned, tossed his gondolier's paddle to the side and snapped his fingers calling Sebastian over. "Would you be so kind as to show _that_ to Ren?" he asked.

Sebastian obligingly pulled out a tablet computer and handed it to Ren. Yashiro leaned over to look with him as Ren scrolled past page after page. Ren remained expressionless while Yashiro's eyes grew wider and wider.

Kyouko watched him nervously as he read, but his face betrayed no emotion.

"I see," Ren said, handing back the computer.

"How did that happen so fast?" Yashiro wondered aloud. Despite his years of experience in the world of show business, even he was astonished by the speed at which the rumors had grown.

"The beauty of high school," The President explained. "The rumor mill works double time, maybe even triple, since Mogami-kun's high school is full of young celebrities."

"You don't seem very concerned for someone who called an emergency meeting," Ren observed.

Kyouko's ears perked at the term 'emergency meeting.'

"I'm so sorry!" Kyouko said. "I never meant to cause such trouble! If only I had prepared properly for my role this never would have happened."

"This has nothing to do with your preparation for your role, Mogami-san," Ren said. "You performed flawlessly. These things simply happen sometimes."

"Not to you," The President said with a wicked grin.

Ren glared at him, but Kyouko seemed to have missed the comment.

"This is ridiculous!" she said. "How could one little photograph spark so many crazy rumors?"

"Well, it is 'one little photograph' with Japan's number one actor and an up and coming actress," Yashiro helpfully reminded.

This time, Ren's glare was for Yashiro.

"Your principal seems to think that something else happened at school," The President said. "Otherwise, why would Fuwa-san be in these rumors too?"

The temperature of the room dropped a degree or two at the mention of his name.

"Self-centered jerk!" Kyouko mumbled. "already thinks the world revolves around him. Why do even my rumors have to have him in them?"

Ren quite agreed, but instead of doing it verbally, he prompted, "Mogami-san? Can you think of anything that might have happened that would make people think such things about you and Fuwa-san?"

Kyouko shuddered, feeling Ren's lying smile. She had more reason to get angry at the mention of Shou than Ren did. She didn't understand why he always became so scary at the very mention of his name.

"Nothing has happened," Kyouko assured him. "I haven't seen him since vain— um, Valentine's day."

"Good," Ren said.

Yashiro snickered.

"Well, there must have been something else then," The President said. "A conversation, a—"

The President was cut off by the sound of Kyouko clapping both hands over her mouth and gasping.

"Mogami-kun?" he asked. "Did you think of something?"

"I didn't deny it!" Kyouko cried, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place.

"What?" all three asked Kyouko at once.

Kyouko quavered under three sets of scrutinizing eyes. "I— I— it's all my fault! Nanokura-san asked me about it. She's always thinking that there's something going on between me and _that_ jerk, so when she saw the article she said she thought I'd leave him alone and let them be happy together now that I had Tsuruga-san and I didn't deny it. I'm so sorry! I just thought it would be easier to let her think that. I just wanted her to stop bothering me about that jerk, and I'd rather have people think I was in lo— in— involved with Tsuruga-san than with the idiot, so I didn't deny it and people must have overheard. It was in the middle of the classroom. I'm so stupid not to think of that!"

Kyouko threw herself on the floor in a dogeza as she finished telling her story, and would not get up again until she was made to.

"It's ok, Kyouko-chan. We understand," Yashiro said, trying to comfort her. "I'd rather people think you were in love with Ren than with Fuwa-san too."

Kyouko whimpered.

"Mogami-san, get up, you're wasting time feeling bad when we could be solving this," Ren said.

The President raised an eyebrow at Ren's harsh language, but it produced the desired effect.  
>"I'm terribly sorry for my unprofessional behavior," Kyouko said, wiping her tears and righting herself.<p>

The president grinned. "Well, now that we know how it happened, let's decide what to do about it, shall we?"

Kyouko nodded emphatically.

The President pulled out a large heart shaped notepad and a pen with a heart bobbing from a spring at the end.

"Well, we could announce your relationship to the public," he offered hopefully.

Yashiro gave an emphatic nod in agreement.

Ren shook his head.

"You mean like hold a press conference and explain that it was all just a big misunderstanding?" Kyouko asked hopefully.

President Takarada's grin drooped and he crossed out Plan A on his list.

"You could start dating," The President said.

Ren rested his head in his hands as Kyouko went on a long tirade about propriety, suitability and how she respected Ren far too much to ever even consider the possibility of dating him.

He would suspect The President of putting him in these positions just to torture him if it wasn't for the increasingly sad expression on his own face as he listened to Kyouko talk about the reasons she could never love Ren.

"And I could never allow myself to be the cause of the destruction of such a brilliant actor in the prime of his career," Kyouko finished, taking a deep breath.

The President sighed.

"Well then, there's always Plan C," he said.

Everyone sat forward on their seats, waiting for one of the president's usual, insane-sounding strokes of genius.

"Do nothing," he said.

"What?" Ren asked.

"Eh? Isn't that what we're doing already?" Kyouko asked.

"Well, it's not too late to choose Plan A or B," President Takarada said hopefully.

Ren and Kyouko both stared blankly at him.

"I guess not then," he said.

"So, um, how does doing nothing help?" Kyouko asked.

"It keeps people talking about you," he said.

"Eh? But that's what we want to stop! What if Tsuruga-san's career gets destroyed because people think he's with someone like me? What if they think that rumor about me and the idiot is true?"

"Not to worry, Mogami-kun," The President Smirked. "You'll see. Now back to work, all of you. I have to practice my rendition of 'O Sole Mio.'"

A very confused Kyouko bowed and exited the office, followed closely by Yashiro. Before exiting the office-turned-venetian-waterway, Ren turned to President Takarada.

"You've got something up your sleeve, haven't you?" he said.

"Nothing but the muscles of an experienced boatman," he grinned.

"I'm sure," Ren said, leaving the office.

There was definitely more to Plan C than met the eye, but as usual with The President, they would simply have to wait and see.

**AN: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I managed to get another chapter written before I have to go to work, so here you go :D A reviewer pointed out that I haven't described the photo or the article(s) yet. Just wanted to mention, in case anyone else is wondering, that I _will_ get to it. I always appreciate everyone's thoughts, and if you have any concerns about anything I may be forgetting, feel free to ask me and I'll thank you for setting me right, or ease your mind :D If you'd like to let me know what you think, feel free to leave me a review.**


	5. Chapter 5 Meetings

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"What the hell?"yelled an irate Fuwa Shou. He threw down the tabloid furnished him by his manager and crushed it under a black studded boot. "Who the hell would get dumped by a plain, boring girl with zero sex appeal like her? Who would date her in the first place? _I_ dumped _her_!"

Shouko sighed at the childish behavior of her charge, picked up the crumpled magazine and opened the cover.

"Sources say the two had frequent meetings when Kyouko-san was on the set of her debut drama, Dark Moon. Fuwa-san even showed up at their on location filming in Karuizawa, where they were seen breakfasting together and conversing intensely together on multiple occasions," Shouko read.

"I was just protecting her from that copy cat stalker freak!" Shou protested. "It's not like I wanted to spend time with her. I wouldn't have gone anywhere near her, if it hadn't been for that freak. I'm a man. Even if the girl is completely not even on my radar as a member of the opposite sex, I can't just leave her to some psycho."

"Yeah, that explains that stunt you pulled on Valentine's day," Shouko muttered under her breath.

"That stalker came back!" Shou defended.

"Didn't you think they were dating?" she asked.

The vein on his forehead looked like it was about to burst.

"Never mind," Shouko said. "We should do something about this though. You don't want that cool reputation of yours tarnished."

"She can't even touch me," he said. "The public isn't gonna believe some stupid little story saying that a girl like _that_ dumped a guy like _me_."

"Did you read the rest of the article? Did you look at the pictures, Shou?"

The musician snorted.

His manager smoothed out the cover of the magazine as best she could and presented him with the images on the front.

"Look Shou. Really look. She's not the same plain little girl you brought from Kyoto anymore. She's a woman and a popular actress. You can't just sweep this under the rug because you think other people are as blind as you have been. They're saying she's Tsuruga Ren's girlfriend."

"This is bullshit," Shou shouted, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

Shou didn't need his manager to tell him that Kyouko had changed. He didn't need the pictures of her from the Dark Moon party, or dressed as Natsu plastered all over magazine covers to tell him that she was anything but plain.

"She didn't dump me," Shou muttered.

* * *

><p>"I am not seeing anyone at this time. I have no comment at this time. I am using this time to focus on my education and my career. I am looking forward to meeting the love of my life, but it has yet to— What <em>is<em> this?" Kyouko said, reading from the little pink book she'd found in her LoveMe room locker.

She closed the book, entitled 'Handling Media 101,' and traded it for a world history textbook. Things were so crazy, she could barely leave the house. For the time being, it had been decided that she would do her school work from home and submit her assignments electronically, at least until her female school mates' urge to murder her seemed to have died down.

She had trouble at LME too. The press didn't know where she lived, but every time she went to the company, she was accosted by swarms of reporters wanting to know when she dumped Shou, when she started going out with Ren, had she been two-timing, who had asked out whom in either relationship. She got a headache just thinking about it.

"It must be so much worse for Tsuruga-san," she sighed. "But, at least he has Yashiro-san to part the crowds."

Kyouko was broken from her unpleasant reverie by the sound of her phone vibrating. She glanced down and saw the dreaded unlisted number.

"I have enough problems without evil denizens from hell getting involved in my life!" she shouted and hung up the phone.

Her phone buzzed again.

"Go back to your home in the underworld and stop calling me!" she shouted into the receiver.

"Mogami-san?" the voice on the other end sounded both confused and mildly amused.

"Ah! Tsuruga-san! I am so sorry," Kyouko said, taking a bow he couldn't see. "I just got an unlisted call and I thought that stalker demon from hell had gotten my number again. I never meant to imply that you were a demon. I mean, you're human, but if you weren't you wouldn't be a demon, more like a god or a fairy or something."

"Um, Mogami-san?" he asked.

"Yes, yes! I'm sorry!" she said.

"It's fine, Mogami-san," he said, cutting her off before she could go into another long apology. "I was just wondering if you had anything you needed to do at LME today, or if you had any shoots. My schedule has a couple long breaks in it, so I could pick you up and take you where you need to go."

"Are those lunch and dinner breaks that you're trying to get out of taking," Kyouko asked, tone dangerous.

"I will be getting a bentou for lunch and dinner at my shoots today," he chuckled.

"One for each, right? Not one bentou between the two meals?" she asked.

"Yes, Mogami-san. One for each." He said. "Now, about the ride?"

Kyouko paused. "Are you sure it's wise?" she asked. "I mean, with all the rumors?"

"Yashiro will be there too," he assured her.

"Yes, but he was there _then_ too…"

"It will be fine, Mogami-san. With all the reporters around, that is all the more reason why you should get a ride. What if you were mobbed by reporters while you were on foot? You'd never be able to escape them."

An image of herself disappearing into a sea of hands and microphones flashed through Kyouko's mind.

"I— I suppose you're right," she said reluctantly.

"I have a break at 1:00 and 6:00, and everything should be wrapped up by no later than 10:00," he said. "When shall I come pick you up?"

"Um, I can be ready at 1:00," she said.

"Good. I'll see you at 1:00, Mogami-san."

"See you," she said, and hung up the phone.

She still wasn't sure it was a good idea, but it beat being mobbed by reporters or stabbed by crazed Shou or Ren fans on the street.

* * *

><p>Shou sat staring at his phone in disbelief. He had been sitting in the same position, staring at his phone for the last twenty minutes. He clutched his phone, ready to throw it in frustration, but then he rethought it. If she wouldn't take his calls, he'd just go see her in person.<p>

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	6. Chapter 6 Confrontation

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko clutched her bag as she nervously waited for Ren to arrive. She still wasn't sure about this whole getting rides from Ren thing. She knew President Takarada had said to do nothing, to simply wait it out, but she still couldn't help but think that she and Ren should adjust their behavior a little to make it seem less suspicious. She still didn't understand how anyone could possibly pair her, plain, boring little Kyouko, with _the_ Tsuruga Ren, Japan's number one actor.

"It's that stupid photo," she mumbled to herself. She began banging her head against the doorframe. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I be so careless? Maybe I should start drinking more coffee at breakfast like Tsuruga-san does…"

"Um, Kyouko-chan," the Okami-san interrupted her soliloquy. "Are you alright?"

"Yes! Fine!" Kyouko said, forcing an overly bright smile.

"Um, your forehead is a little red…"

She reached up and ruffled her bangs into place over the red mark and smiled sheepishly.

"Are you really ok, Kyouko-chan. You seem a little…anxious lately."

"No— well— um, it's just—"

"It's ok, Kyouko-chan," she said with a kind smile. "You don't have to force yourself. Just know that I'm always here if you want to talk."

Kyouko nodded, smiling gratefully.

"Now, how about some lunch?"

"Ah, well, I'm waiting for Tsuruga-san…" Kyouko said.

The Okami-san smiled knowingly. "Oh? A date?"

"No, no, no! He's just giving me a ride to work. He had a break in his schedule, so he said he would pick me up, since it would be bad if I got caught by a reporter."

The Okami-san laughed at Kyouko's denial. "Well, if it's not a lunch date, you'd better grab a quick bite before you go. The lunch rush is on, so there's plenty of food.

Kyouko, as per usual, was ready and waiting much earlier than Ren was supposed to arrive, so she agreed and followed the Okami-san into the kitchen.

The Okami-san set a plate of food before Kyouko at the kitchen counter before bustling off to the dining room to take the patrons their food.

Kyouko ate quickly, checking the time every couple of minutes.

"He can come inside when he arrives," The Taisho said.

"Ah, I know," Kyouko said, "but I want to go meet him at his car. It's better if we're not seen."

The Taisho, grunted his reply and brought his knife onto the cutting board with excessive force.

"Kyouko-chan," the Okami-san called, popping back into the kitchen to retrieve another table's order. "It looks like Tsuruga-san is here for you."

"Ah, thank you," she said, quickly gathering her things. "I'll be back tonight."

The Okami-san nodded and went to deliver her order. The Taisho continued his aggressive chopping.

Kyouko ran out to the car and greeted Ren before he had a chance to get out. "Good afternoon, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san," she said, quickly climbing into the seat beside Ren. For once she didn't try and make Yashiro switch seats with her. She wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Good afternoon, Mogami-san," Ren greeted.

"Hi, Kyouko-chan," Yashiro said.

"Where to, Mogami-san?" Ren asked.

"Um, LME is fine." She said.

"I can take you wherever you need to go," Ren assured her, pulling out of the parking lot.

"It's fine," Kyouko said. "I have some LoveMe work to do, and then I was going to ride with Amamiya-san to our Box R shoot later. You don't have to worry. I won't be walking."

"That's good then," Ren said.

"How about tonight then?" he asked. "If you're done by 6:00, I can take you home, or if you wait until around 10:00…"

"Ah, I don't know how long the shoot will go," Kyouko said. "I can probably get a ride with Amamiya-san again, unless she has another job…"

"Ok, but promise you'll call me if you can't get a ride. I don't want you walking alone," Ren said.

Kyouko blushed, but agreed to call if she needed a ride.

They pulled into the LME parking lot a few minutes later and got out of the car. Kyouko paled as she saw the swarm of reporters waiting for them.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Kyouko said.

"It's fine, Mogami-san. We'll just go in by the employee entrance. The most they can do is ask questions. They're not allowed into the building. Just look straight ahead and ignore them."

"Alright," she said weakly. The recent incident was her first time dealing with the press. Ren may have been used to ignoring hoards of people shouting his name and asking intimate details of his personal life as if they had a right to know, but it still was still new to Kyouko.

She swallowed nervously and all three began walking toward the building.

As they neared, they became aware that the reporters' attention already seemed to have a focus, and that focus was standing casually outside the front entrance of LME wearing distressed jeans, a leather vest sipped only halfway, a spiked choker and studded leather boots.

Kyouko froze.

"What is your relationship with Kyouko?" one reporter shouted.

"Is it true that she dumped you for Tsuruga Ren?" shouted another.

"Are you still in love with her?"

"Are you two still involved with each other?"

The reporters shouted their questions in vain. The blond idol simply smirked and glanced past them.

Their eyes locked.

"Yo, Kyouko," Shou called, pushing himself from his position leaned against the building, "long time no see."

The crowd of reporters turned as one, eyes widening in surprise and glee as they spotted none other than Tsuruga Ren and Kyouko, the other parties in the rumors. The crowd buzzed with questions.

"What is your relationship with Fuwa Shou?" one reporter shouted at Kyouko.

"When did you begin seeing Tsuruga Ren?" asked another.

"Are you still involved with both men?" shouted a third.

Kyouko stood stock still, unable to answer, unable to move.

"We have no comment at this time," came Ren's steady voice as he placed an arm around Kyouko's shoulders and guided her into the building.

When they were safely on the other side of the doors, Kyouko's expression slipped from shock to hysteria. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at Ren.

"Take a deep breath, Mogami-san," Ren told her. "It's will be fine."

"How is it going to be fine?" she wailed. "I just froze. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't think at all, I just shut down so you had to do _that_! Now it's going to get even worse and—"

"Hey!" shouted a voice behind her."What's this bullshit about you dumping me?"

**AN:Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	7. Chapter 7 The Lying Smile

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ripping out his larynx seemed like a good idea. Then he couldn't come irritate her with his stupid comments. Then again, he could still make that stupid smirk, so it would have to be ripping out his larynx _and_ putting duct tape over his mouth. Oh, and then handcuffs so he couldn't remove the duct tape. The more she thought about it, the more she realized, he could irritate her without saying a word or sparing her a glance.

The fact that the LME lobby had glass walls, and that ripping out his larynx, duct-taping his mouth, and handcuffing him in front of a teeming swarm of paparazzi would probably make for bad publicity also passed through her mind. She could make it look nice. She could yell at him with a smile on her face, but then he'd probably bait her, and she would snap and release the grudges.

She glanced over at her sempai, saw the cold smile on his face and knew exactly what to do.

"What the hell?" Shou said, closing the distance between them and grabbing her by the arm. He roughly spun her around to face him. "We need to talk."

Ren was beside the two in a fraction of a second. He was about to remove the singer from Kyouko's person, with relish, when she straightened up into her usual perfect posture and turned her eyes on Shou. She let just a bit of Mio's malice and distain show in her eyes, while the rest of her expression morphed into the perfect Okami-san.

"Would you be so kind as to remove your hand from my arm?" she asked.

Shou released her as if he'd been burned.

"That's better," she said, and continued before Shou had a chance to recover. "Forgive my ignorance, Fuwa-san. We may do things a bit differently here, at LME. I had thought it was standard procedure to contact the agency of the person you want to see and make an appointment, rather than appearing out of nowhere, loitering in front of the building, generally causing pandemonium amongst the press, and troubling the staff. Am I wrong?"

"Who needs an appointment to see you?" he scoffed.

Kyouko let the statement slide.

Yashiro stood in the background, glove on and phone out, ready to call security at the slightest hint of a problem.

"Never mind then," Kyouko said. "I will have to ask you to bear in mind the convenience of our employees in the future, but as the damage is already done for now, we may as well get this over with. How may I help you?"

Shou's eyebrow twitched. Normally, Kyouko would be jumping down his throat, declaring her unadulterated hatred and avowing her unflinching determination for revenge by now, but she wasn't, and it was bothering the hell out of him. Was the change due to her relationship with Ren?

"You can help me by going out there and explaining to those damn reporters that you didn't dump me, that we were never freaking going out in the first place and that this is all a load of—"

"Do you really want me to do that?" she asked, smiling indulgently.

"Why the hell else do you think I came here?" he shouted.

"I'm afraid that won't work," Kyouko said. "You have only magnified the force of the rumors by coming here."

"What the hell!" He shouted in frustration.

"Believe me, Fuwa-san, I would like nothing more than to have it known to the world that you and I are not now, nor ever have been romantically involved," Kyouko said, amplifying the wattage of her smile. "Now, I think it's wise that you leave before things get any worse."

Kyouko turned to go, and Shou grabbed her arm again.

"We're not done," he shouted, as Aki Shouko burst through the door.

"Shou!" She shouted, approaching at high speed. "Shou, we're leaving. Now."

"It appears that we are," Kyouko said, shaking her arm from his grip. "Goodbye, Fuwa-san."

Ren smirked as the musician was hauled out of the building by his manager. He glanced down at Kyouko, and it appeared that whatever characters she had been channeling had left her.

"Mogami-san?" he prompted.

"How was the Mogami Kyouko version of the lying gentlemanly smile?" she asked, offering him a shy smile of her own.

"Wait, that was patterned after me?"he asked.

Yashiro burst into uncontained laughter, doubled over and clutched his sides.

"What's so funny?" Kyouko wondered.

"I have no idea," Ren said. " Let's go."

They headed to the LoveMe room, Kyouko in step beside Ren. Yashiro, still clutching his sides and snickering as he followed along at a distance.

"Um, Tsuruga-san?" Kyouko asked.

"Yes, Mogami-san?"

"Was that…ok? The way I handled him?"

"It was perfect, Mogami-san," Ren said.

"Oh, but should we tell the president?" Kyouko asked. "Since it involves another agency now…"

"Oh, I'm sure, he already knows, Mogami-san," Ren said, glancing up at one of the numerous security cameras distributed throughout the building. Kyouko followed his gaze.

One the other side of the lens sat President Takarada, fingers tented, grinning maniacally as he reviewed the security footage from the lobby. He knew that hiring a stenographer for the front desk had been a good idea. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the transcript to be delivered to his office and watched Ren and Kyouko on one of the live monitors, both staring up at the camera before moving down the hall to the LoveMe room. Things were shaping up quite nicely indeed.

"Goodbye, Tsuruga-san," Kyouko said, as they reached their destination. "And again, I'm so sorry for all the trouble you're having to go through because of me!"

"Mogami-san," Ren stopped her. "It is not because of you. I am equally, if not more responsible."

Kyouko began to protest, but Ren went on.

"I have a duty to protect my kohai, and I failed to do so. If you keep bringing it up, you'll only make me feel guiltier," he said.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize. I won't say anything anymore," Kyouko promised.

"Good," Ren said. "And remember to call me if you need a ride tonight."

Kyouko promised, and again said goodbye to Ren and Yashiro.

The two men headed for Ren's next job. Yashiro had finally gotten his laughter under control, but there was still a mirthful twinkle in his eyes.

"Is it really that funny?" he asked.

Yashiro let out a little snort. "Ah, well, it's just that for someone who is so oblivious to your feelings, she sure does know you inside and out."

Ren let out a sigh. How true that was!

**AN: Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	8. Chapter 8 Roles

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"I can't believe you managed to get yourself into this big of a mess," Kanae sighed, flipping through the channels in search of something unrelated to her friend's rumored love triangle. Eventually, she gave up and turned the television off.

Kyouko cringed. "I know! I should have been more careful, but why did that idiot have to show up and make things worse?"

Kanae spread out the futons. After a very stressful last few days, Kyouko was spending the night at Kanae's for some peace, relaxation and girl talk .

"You would think his agency would keep him under control better than that."

"You would think," Kyouko said.

She honestly felt sorry for Aki Shouko for having to deal with him. He just ran off and did whatever he wanted, regardless of how it affected anyone else. Though perhaps now that his thoughtless actions had had some serious repercussions, his agency would keep him reigned in better. A tiny little statement from Akatoki stating that "Fuwa Shou has never been involved with LME's Kyouko," hardly seemed enough to combat the headlines which were using his own words.

"Fuwa says, 'We're not done!'" was one of the first headlines printed after the incident. Grainy cell phone video from inside the building had even been posted online and was going viral. The picture was bad quality and their conversation was entirely inaudible, but it still fed the public's growing appetite for anything involving the trio. There was no way anyone would believe the truth now. As far as the public was concerned, Kyouko and Ren were together, and Shou was her bitter ex who wouldn't give up.

"Well, forget about _him_ and just focus on acting. At least with all the publicity, you're getting more offers for roles," Kanae said.

"But Mouko-san! They're roles I can't take! Not in a million years!"

"Take them," Kanae said. "They're something different from your bully roles. It's an opportunity to branch out into something new, to grow as an actress."

"Mouko-san! I really, seriously, honestly and truly can't take those roles. They are offering them to me because they think I'm something I'm not! I don't have the slightest clue how to be sexy or seductive!"

"Yeah," Kanae said. "I'm sure they're offering you those roles because no one thinks you're attractive at all."

"Well, I'm not pretty like you, Mouko-san. If it was you, I'm sure it would be totally different. There wouldn't be sites like …"

"That's true," she said. "the sites would be something like ."

"Eh? No way!" Kyouko said. "You're so beautiful, no one would find it strange for you to be with someone like Tsuruga-san at all!"

"Mou! In case you hadn't noticed, those stupid sites are run by crazy, murderous fangirls. They would be crazy, murderous fangirls whether Tsuruga Ren was dating the most beautiful woman on earth, or a Brillo pad. It's not about you being unworthy! The rest of the world doesn't hate you. Look, I'll prove it to you," she said flicking the television back on. The channel was on a random entertainment news show.

"—that has been spreading around like crazy, singer Fuwa Shou has declared open war on Tsuruga Ren, declaring 'We're not done,' to the actor's girlfriend," a female anchor said.

"I'd hate to be in Fuwa-san's shoes," the male anchor replied. "Tsuruga Ren is certainly a strong rival."

"But I'd love to be in Kyouko-san's," the woman joked.

They both had a laugh before resuming. "Well, Fuwa-san has his work cut out for him if he wants to win Kyouko-san back. They look awfully cozy together, don't they?"

"They sure do," he replied.

Kyouko screamed and dove for the remote as the screen flashed the image of the picture that started it all, along with a slew of other pictures of Ren and Kyouko. She hurriedly switched off the television.

"Those pictures really do look pretty incriminating," Kanae smirked.

"I swear there's a reasonable explanation behind all of them!" Kyouko shouted.

"You don't have to tell me," Kanae said, hiding her smile. "Anyway, my point is, the media isn't bashing you. They're not saying you're unworthy. They're not saying you're plain, boring, or lack sex appeal. The only one who thinks that way is you."

"No way!" Kyouko said. "I'm nothing special. No one looks at me and thinks 'Now there's a girl fit to stay by the side of Tsuruga Ren.' I'm not like you, Mouko-san. I'm sure they're all wondering how a girl like me ended up with someone like Tsuruga-san. He should definitely be with someone beautiful and smart and talented—"

"Mou! Would you stop it? Just because _that_ jerk told you something once, you believe it without hesitation, but when your friends, when people like me and Tsuruga-san and Chiori and your coworkers and directors and people who are supposed to matter to you tell you good things about yourself, you brush it off like it's nothing. What do you think that says about how important we are compared to Fuwa? Huh? You trust his opinion more than ours?"

"Mouko-san!" Kyouko said, launching herself at Kanae. "I had no idea I was making you feel that way! Of course you're more important to me than that stupid idiot! I'm so sorry! My feelings for you shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as my feelings for that idiot. They are completely different! They are on entirely different ends of the spectrum! You're a million times more trustworthy than him! Your opinion matters a billion times more!"

Kanae should have known what was coming, but she'd been too angry to dodge Kyouko's embrace, so she just sat there grinning over Kyouko's shoulder as her friend gushed over how wonderful she was. She couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to someone else who would love to hear those words from Kyouko. It was nice to win against Japan's number one actor, at least in one area.

"Ok! Ok! Enough!" she said, done reveling in the feeling.

Kyouko reluctantly released her and sat back.

"So what are you going to do about all those offers?"

"E— even if I'm not plain and boring and lacking in sex appeal like you said, Mouko-san, there's still no way I can take a role like that. I mean, have you read some one the character descriptions? I don't want to play a naughty nurse!"

Kanae snorted. "I can't believe Sawara-san even let you see something like that. They can't all be that bad though, right?"

Kyouko dug in her bag, produced a rather thick stack of offers and passed them to Kanae.

Kanae read through them all in characteristically high speed. "Ok, so some of these are pretty…"

"I know," Kyouko moaned.

"Oh, but there is one more," she said, again rifling through her things and producing a dog-eared copy of a script.

Kanae arched an eyebrow. "Kyouko?"

"I've actually already played the character before," she said, handing this script over as well. "It would probably just take a little bit of tweaking, and it seems like it would be a lot of fun…"

"It seems like you really want the role." Kanae said. "So what's the problem?"

"Well," Kyouko said, "I think it could get me into a lot more trouble…"

Kanae read through the script. "Kyouko, this is Tsuruga Ren's drama."

Kyouko nodded.

"This is the one you did the guest role for."

She nodded again.

"That part was only supposed to be in one episode."

"Yeah," Kyouko said. "But apparently with all the media exposure, people want to see more of me and Tsuruga-san together, so they wrote my character into more episodes. I—I really like the character, but with this whole situation…I feel like I should decline it."

"Kyouko," Kanae said, looking her in the eyes, "you are taking this part."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D I have been slow to respond lately, as I think I may have the Bubonic plague ;) But, I still appreciate them, and will try to get back to you soon :D **


	9. Chapter 9 Acceptance

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Ren," Yashiro crooned, "I heard from the director that you approved the latest changes to the script. They were quite drastic, weren't they? Won't that be a lot of work? You must have really liked the changes to approve them so readily."

"Not really," Ren said. "The main plot is still the same, and I wasn't the only one who had to approve them. He asked other people as well."

Yashiro pouted. Ren was not taking the bate, so he decided for a blunt approach.

"You must be excited to work with Kyouko-chan again though, right?"

"She hasn't even accepted the role yet," Ren said. "Everything may stay the same after all."

"Ah, but I'm sure if you just called her and asked her to accept it, she'd take it in a heartbeat," Yashiro said.

"Yashiro," Ren said firmly, "I am not going to pressure Mogami-san into taking a role if she doesn't want it. If she solicits my advice, I will give it honestly and wholeheartedly, but given the situation, I don't think it would be wise to pressure her."

Yashiro sighed. Here was a golden opportunity and Ren was just letting it slip through his fingers. With all the recent media exposure, Kyouko was gaining in popularity, at least amongst the male population, and if Ren didn't hold on to her, he would lose her.

"Anyway," Ren said, "we'll know soon enough if she decides to accept it or not. We'll have to start filming the new scenes pretty soon if she does."

Ren was needed for a scene, so left his things with Yashiro and joined his fellow actors on the set.

"I'm glad I got to make breakfast for you this time, Mouko-san," Kyouko said, smiling as they walked to LME together.

"I'm not," Kanae mumbled. "Any more of this and I'm going to get fat and lose all my jobs."

"Eh? No way! Eating a healthy breakfast is important! It will start your metabolism working so that your body uses up calories instead of going into starvation mode and storing them all, so it will actually help you regulate your weight. Not to mention it gives you the proper nutrition and needed energy to start your day off right," Kyouko lectured.

"Not when you feed me that much," Kanae protested, placing a hand over her overstuffed stomach. "I'm skipping lunch!"

Kyouko giggled. "You sound like Tsuruga-san."

Kanae raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of Tsuruga-san, did you give any thought to what I said?"

"Yes…" Kyouko said reluctantly.

"And?"

"Well, I really want the role, but somehow it still feels…corrupted," she said.

"Mou! This is a huge opportunity! They wrote this role for you! You like the character, you like the cast, you have to do it!"

"But what about Tsuruga-san?" Kyouko asked.

"What about him?"

"What if it ruins his reputation?" she clarified.

"Mou! Kyouko! Everyone already thinks you're dating! He hasn't been fired from any jobs yet. His popularity hasn't gone down. What are you waiting for?"

"He could get fired?" Kyouko shrieked.

"It was an example! Forget it," Kanae said. "I'm just trying to explain that nothing bad has happened as a result of these rumors. Well, except maybe to Fuwa… But that's beside the point. If you want this role, you have to take it. You may never get a chance like this again. Part of being an actress is seizing opportunities as they arise. Eventually, these rumors will cool down and you'll be out of the spotlight, so you'd better take this chance while you have it."

"The rumors will go away?" Kyouko asked, brightening up.

"Mou! Were you even listening?" Kanae yelled.

"Yes! I'm sorry!" Kyouko said. "And what you're saying makes sense. It's just that I want to gain success through my own merits, not through connections, especially fake connections."

"Kyouko, they gave the guest role before all this happened, right?"

"Well, yeah. It's where this whole mess started," she said, aura growing dark.

"Well, there, that was your own merit, and do you think they would have invited you back if you hadn't done your job properly?" Kanae asked. "The world may not understand your merits yet. They may just be curious to see how you interact with Tsuruga Ren, but you can't just hide in a corner and expect them to acknowledge you. They'll never see it if you don't show them. You've got to stand up and give them all you've got."

"You're right, Mouko-san!" Kyouko said, determination flashing in her eyes. "If I don't take this on, how will anyone ever see what I can do?"

The determined look wavered for a moment as she remembered something.

"They had to re-write the script to add in my part. Won't it inconvenience a lot of people?"

"Mou! Stop coming up with excuses and take the part already!" Kanae said. "If they took the time to write you in, won't you be wasting a lot of people's efforts if you don't take it?"

"I guess you're right," Kyouko said, cheering up.

"Though, if you really don't want to take this one, the naughty nurse role is still available," Kanae said with a laugh.

"Mouko-san!" Kyouko cried. "It's this one! I'm taking this one!"

"Then go tell, Sawara-san," she said as they approached their destination.

"No! Takeshi! Don't leave!" President Takarada shouted after the retreating from of the male lead in his current otome game. "These things are impossible! Any normal man would be crying tears of joy if a girl brought him cookies and cheered him on at his kendo match! How can you be so cruel?"

He paused in his lamentations, big lace handkerchief mid way to his eyes when there was a buzz from his secretary.

"President Takarada, Sawara-san is holding for you on line one," she called through the intercom.

The President perked up immediately, tossed his controller and handkerchief aside and picked up the phone.

"Ah, Sawara-kun," he said, picking up his pink, heart-shaped rhinestone encrusted phone. "How did it go?"

He smiled at the answer he heard.

"She took the part? Excellent! Keep me informed."

He hung up the phone and set aside his dating game in favor of his favorite security footage compilation, Ren and Kyouko moments, disc three, now available on DVD or Blu-ray…for his own personal use anyway. He pulled open the accompanying binder of transcripts. He would have to get microphones installed instead of just the stenographer. Things were about to get interesting.

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	10. Chapter 10 The Call

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko paced the floor in her small upstairs room at the Darumaya. She had accepted the role on Ren's current drama rather hastily. She had thought it over for one night and then, caught up with the insistence of her best friend, accepted the role without even considering the main person it would effect. She should have consulted Ren first. What if he didn't want to act opposite her? Sure he had seemed happy to work with her when her part had just been in one episode, but what if he didn't want to work with her for more than that? Had he heard that she accepted the part yet? Would he be angry?

She picked up her phone to call him and then put it down again. She paced the floor again, before scooping up her phone again. Her finger was poised above the speed dial button when it vibrated in her hands and she nearly flung it across the room.

"H—hello?" she said, recovering herself.

"Good evening, Mogami-san," came the voice she'd both hoped and dreaded to hear.

"Good evening, Tsuruga-san," she said, trying to calm her nerves.

There was a moment of silence which was broken by Ren's laugh.

"Tsuruga-san?"

"You don't have to be so nervous, Mogami-san. It's just me," he said.

Kyouko laughed nervously. He was not _just_ anything.

"Um, why are you calling?" she asked.

"Can't I call you without a reason?" he said affecting a hurt tone. She could see the puppy dog eyes from over the phone.

"Eh? No! I mean— It's not that you can't. I just thought—"

Ren laughed again.

"Tsuruga-san! You're mean!" she said. "Why do you always have to tease me?"

"Because your reaction is always so enjoyable," he said.

"That's not fair, Tsuruga-san!" she complained. "You always tease me, and I end up flustered, but nothing I do ever gets to you."

"So you're trying to fluster me, Mogami-san?" he asked, dropping the pitch of his voice. "How very daring."

"Eh? No! That's not what I meant! I just meant—"

Ren's rumbling laughter again filled her ear.

"Tsuruga-san! Did you just call to laugh at me?"she asked, now more frustrated than nervous.

"No," he said, recovering himself. "I actually thought you might have some news for me."

"News?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Like a new role you might have, for example."

He knew.

"I'm so sorry I didn't say anything earlier. I knew I should have asked you about it, but then Mouko-san said that I should definitely take the part, because I liked the character and the cast and I definitely didn't want to play any of those seductive roles that they offered me, and I thought it would be a valuable experience, and then we were there and so she told me to tell Sawara-san and I did it without even thinking. If you don't want to act with me, I'll go back and see if I can still turn it do—"

"Mogami-san, stop," he said, humor evident in his voice. "I would love to act with you."

"You would?" Kyouko asked.

"I would," he said.

"But then why did you—"

"I was just a little disappointed," he said.

Kyouko's heart sunk.

"Usually, you call me and tell me about it when you get a new role."

"Eh? So, you're not disappointed that it was me?" she asked.

"No. Of course not," Ren said. "I was just disappointed that I didn't get to talk to you about it."

"W—well, we could talk now," Kyouko said, feeling very presumptuous. "I mean if you still want to, and if you're not busy. I don't want to take up your free time, since you're always so busy. When you have time to rest you should relax and—"

"Mogami-san, I called you," he reminded her.

"Ah, right," she said.

"So, are _you_ free right now?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. She paused, blushing, "Actually, I was just about to call you."

"I haven't eaten yet, you know," he said. "Why don't we have our chat over dinner, and you can supervise my eating habits as you like so much to do."

"Eh? But is that alright? Won't that reinforce the rumors?" Kyouko asked.

"Mogami-san, would you be embarrassed to date me?" he asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko nearly screamed, turning ten shades of red, "No! Of course not! Who could possibly be embarrassed to date you, Tsuruga-san? I just don't want to ruin your reputation. I mean, for a man like you to be going out with a girl like me, people would definitely think—"

"That I was very lucky," Ren finished.

"Eh? No, I was going to say, they would think you had very bad taste!"

Ren sighed. "Mogami-san, you said you wouldn't be embarrassed to date me, right?"

Kyouko nodded, before realizing he couldn't see her over the phone. She cleared her throat and answered in the affirmative.

"So, if you wouldn't be embarrassed, would you have any other problem with me?"

"No! Of course there wouldn't be a problem with _you_, Tsuruga-san," she said. "It's just that—"

"Then there's no problem," he said firmly. "Right?"

"Um, right," she said.

"Good, I'll come pick you up right away," he said. "Are you at home?"

"Uh huh," she answered automatically.

"Alright, then I'll be there in about twenty minutes," he said. "Think about what you want to eat."

"Ok," Kyouko answered and hung up the phone. She sat there in a daze for a few moments, replaying what was just said, and then it clicked.

Kyouko's scream could be heard throughout the busy restaurant downstairs, and well down the block.

"Is everything ok up there?" a customer asked as the Okami-san delivered his order.

"Oh, I'm sure everything is fine," she said with a smile, "The young woman who boards with us is just very…enthusiastic."

The customer looked incredulous, but as the noise was not repeated, and his food was distractingly delicious, he forgot about the shriek and enjoyed his meal.

Back upstairs, Kyouko had stopped screaming and was furiously punching a number into her phone. The phone didn't even ring, but went straight to voicemail.

"Mouko-san! Help!" Kyouko wailed into the phone. "I think I've just agreed to go on a date with Tsuruga-san, and he's on his way!"

**AN: Yeah, I know this chapter is shameless fluff...as will be the next one... But! Back to the plot after that! Hope you liked it anyway :D Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	11. Chapter 11 Taking A Chance

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he approached the side door of the Darumaya. He had been progressing slowly, almost laughably slowly, hinting at his feelings, trying to get her used to the idea without scaring her off for over a year. Then, he had to go and do this. It could be over for him in an instant. She could erase him from her life without hesitation. And in the next few moments, he would know. That is, if he could bring himself to knock on the door.

He took a deep breath and tapped on the wood panel.

There was a thump, a squeak, the sound of footsteps, and then she was before him, red in the face and a little out of breath, but she was there. That was a good start.

"Good evening, Tsuruga-san," she said, a little too exuberantly. "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Good evening, Mogami-san. You look lovely tonight," he ventured, hoping it wasn't too much.

Kyouko blushed prettily, and did not call him a pervert and slam the door in his face, or run screaming from his sight, so he relaxed just a bit.

"Have you thought of anything you'd like to eat? Anywhere you'd like to go?" he asked as they made their way to his car and got in.

"Um, I was thinking I should cook for you," she said. "It's been a while since I made you dinner. If we just stop at a grocery store, I can pick up some ingredients and we can go back to your place and then we won't have to worry about anyone seeing us."

"That's fine with me," Ren said, starting the engine and pulling onto the street, "but you know what they'll say about it in the media if anyone sees you going into my apartment. You may be forced to marry me."

"Eh?" Kyouko's blush bloomed from her cheeks, out to her ears and disappeared underneath the neckline of her sweater dress. "I hadn't thought of that."

Ren smiled when she didn't scream and proclaim that she could never marry him. He was tempted to take her to his apartment and tip off a reporter on the way, so that his warning would prove true, but he wanted to marry her when she wanted to marry him too, not under duress. He also wanted to take the first step towards that goal, and that would be going on a date.

"So, do you still want to go to my place, or should we go out after all?" he asked.

"We should go out!" she exclaimed.

"What shall we eat, then?" he asked.

"Anything but roasted frogs," Kyouko said jokingly.

"How does roasted guinea pig sound?"

Kyouko pouted. "If you don't stop teasing me, I'll pick IHOP and feed you pancakes with syrup all night long."

"Ok," Ren agreed. "If you'll be feeding me, I don't mind."

"Tsuruga-san!" she complained, blushing bright red.

"You shouldn't make threats if you don't intend to carry them out, Mogami-san," Ren warned with a smirk.

They drove around for a bit, before Kyouko spotted a Japanese restaurant and suggested going there. Ren suspected her reason in choosing the restaurant was that Japanese food was probably the least likely of any type of cuisine to have pancakes, but he didn't mind eating whatever Kyouko wanted, as long as she was with him.

* * *

><p>"You have got to be kidding me," Kyouko said as soon as they set foot inside the restaurant.<p>

Ren laughed. "Does this mean you'll be feeding me after all?"

"They won't have syrup here," she said, glaring up at him, lips puckered in a pout.

"Table for tw— oh my god!" The waitress said, recognizing the pair at once.

"We would like a table towards the back, if possible," Ren glanced at the girl's nametag, and smiled, "Noriko-san."

The girl turned bright red and nearly swooned, but collected herself after a moment and directed them to a booth in the back.

She handed them their menus and stood before them, staring before she seemed to recall that they would actually need to look at the menus before they could order.

The impression didn't seem to last long however, as she returned almost immediately and asked, "Do you know what you'd like, or do you need some more time to decide?"

"We'll need a little more time," Ren said, glancing at Kyouko.

She blushed and left again, still within sight of the table.

"The waitress is staring at you," Kyouko said, eyeing the girl over her menu.

"I hadn't noticed," he said, smiling at Kyouko.

"She's definitely staring," Kyouko said.

Ren glanced toward the waitress, who looked away with a furious blush.

"She's just nervous to be waiting on celebrities," he said. "She'd be acting the same way if it was you and Kotonami-san sitting here."

Kyouko sighed. "Tsuruga-san, how can you not know the effect you have on women?"

"I guess it's because I only pay attention to the effect I have on one girl," he said.

Kyouko blushed and buried her face in her menu. "Do you know what you want to eat yet?"

_Too far_ he made a note to back off a little, and looked down at his menu.

"Hmm, what's good," he asked. "I've never had okonomiyaki."

"How can you not have had okonomiyaki?" she asked incredulously. The savory pancake was a very popular Japanese dish made several different ways based on region. Everyone had had okonomiyaki. "Are you even Japanese?"

Ren laughed. "I don't usually have a chance for leisurely meals, unless it's at a premiere or something, and those are usually catered. "

"I still can't believe you've never had it," Kyouko said.

He smiled. "Well, you'll just have to guide me through my first experience."

Kyouko blushed.

"Ok, let's get started then," she said flagging down the waitress and placing their orders.

The girl soon returned with the bowls of raw ingredients, plates, utensils, and turned on the griddle in the middle of the table.

"Enjoy," the girl said, nervously retreating.

Ren watched as Kyouko mixed the batter, cabbage, onions and meat, heated oil on the griddle and poured the batter on top. She shaped the batter into rounds, then placed a cover over the savory pancake and flipped the small hourglass timer at the table. She repeated the process with the second bowl of ingredients.

"There," she said. "Now we just wait for it to cook through a bit, flip it and enjoy."

"I can't wait," he said.

"Eh? Tsuruga-san, are you alright?" Kyouko asked, reaching across the table and placing a hand on Ren's forehead.

Ren, laughed, took her hand away from his forehead and retained it, resting their hands off to the side of the cooking surface.

"I'm fine, Mogami-san. Why do you ask?"

"I've never known you to be so enthusiastic about your food before," she said.

He glanced down at their joined hands and smiled. It wasn't the food he was enthusiastic about.

**AN: So, I had to rewrite this chapter, as it was too long and read like more of a step by step guide to the preparation of okonomiyaki than an actual chapter. Now I'm craving okonomiyaki... Ah hem! Hopefully it's ok now :D The rest of the date will be in the next chapter. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. **


	12. Chapter 12 Blowing It

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko followed Ren's gaze down to their joined hands. She blushed furiously and pulled back. Ren's smile drooped a little, but he didn't resist.

"We should check the okonomiyaki," she said, hastily removing the cover and lifting up the okonomiyaki with a spatula. She dropped it in the table with a hiss off pain. In her distraction, she had bumper her arm on the hot edge of the lid.

Ren was out of his seat and by her side in a second. He dipped his napkin in his ice-water and leaned over her, taking her arm in one hand and using the other to dab the wet napkin on the burn.

"It's ok," Kyouko said, trying to retract her arm.

"We need to cool it off," he said, dabbing at the slightly pink spot.

"Tsuruga-san, it's really fine," she said. Her face was several shades darker than the minor burn.

He glanced from her arm to her face. They were mere inches apart.

"I'm really fine," she said, voice just above a whisper. "I'm sure it won't even show by tomorrow."

"You always get hurt trying to cook for me," he said with a frown.

"I've cooked for you lots of times without getting hurt," she said, looking up at him. She turned away again, realizing that he was still dangerously close. "Tsuruga-san. I need to finish the food."

"Ah, right," he said, clearing his throat. He returned to his seat and Kyouko finished the food. She flipped it over, waited until it was cooked the rest of the way, then topped it with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, bonito and aonori flakes. She then cut the savory pancakes into slices.

"Eat up," she said, glancing up nervously.

Ren tried a bite and smiled. "It's delicious."

"Really?" Kyouko asked. She tried a bite herself, smiled and closed her eyes, savoring the tasted.

"I think I like watching you eat more than actually eating," Ren said.

"I think you'd like being interrogated by the police more than eating," Kyouko said.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," he laughed.

"I can't believe you admitted not having eaten and even went to far as to suggest dinner," Kyouko laughed. "You know, if we'd just talked on the phone, you could have avoided eating."

"But then I wouldn't have gotten to see you," he said.

Kyouko could feel her face growing red. She took another bite of okonomiyaki so she wouldn't have to say anything.

Ren sighed.

"Tell me about your new role, Mogami-san," he said. "That was, after all the purpose of this meal."

Kyouko visibly relaxed.

"You already know all about it, Tsuruga-san," she said with a laugh. "In fact, you probably know more about it than me, since it's your show."

"But I haven't gotten to hear your thoughts on the new part," he said. "And you're the one who makes Rika come alive."

Kyouko blushed at the compliment.

"Well, at first, I felt like Rika was hard to play," she said. "She doesn't have the impact of Mio or Natsu. She's just so…normal."

Ren smiled and waited for Kyouko to continue.

"But after I got to know her, I really began to like her," she said. "So when they wrote her into the rest of the drama, I was really excited."

"I'm glad they wrote her in too," Ren said. "I think the drama will be richer for having her in it."

"Really?" Kyouko asked, favoring Ren with one of her sweetest smiles.

"Absolutely," he said.

"Actually," Kyouko said, shyly, "I'm happy about this role for another reason too."

"Oh? Ren asked.

She felt her cheeks flame and her heart speed up. It was really embarrassing to say, but Ren was her sempai who'd always been supportive of her. She always went to him when she'd accomplished something worthwhile.

"Yes," she said, studying her now empty plate. "I feel like this role brings me a lot closer to my original goal in acting."

Kyouko ventured a glance up at Ren and was greeted by a dazzling smile, one that had not been turned her way in quite some time. Her brow furrowed in confusion and the color drained from her face. He was angry.

"Well, I'm glad I could be a part of it," he said.

A thud sounded in the background as the waitress was rendered unconscious by the brightness of Ren's smile. There was a commotion as other members of the wait staff rushed to the girl's aide.

The corner of the restaurant where the fallen waitress lay was no more tumultuous than the hearts of the patrons who had inadvertently caused the commotion.

Kyouko thought over her words, searching for anything she might have said to upset Ren, he was fine until she said that this role was helping her to reach her goal. She simply wanted to be worthy of working alongside Ren. It had been her goal since she was carried off the set of Ring Doh, to be able work opposite of Ren and hold her own. She felt that now, she would have the opportunity to try.

Was she being too presumptuous by thinking that she could face off against Japan's number one actor?

"Thank you for the meal, Mogami-san," Ren said, sparkling smile still in place.

"N—no, thank you," Kyouko said. "And thank you for listening to me. I'm sorry if I said anything to upset you."

"Why would I be upset?" Ren asked. "I got to enjoy a lovely meal with a lovely companion."

"Um, right," she said laughing nervously.

The drive home was awkward and silent. He walked her to the door when they arrived and thanked her for accompanying him, but his words felt hollow and flat.

Kyouko didn't know what she'd done wrong, or why she felt oddly like crying.

"Ah, Kyouko-chan," the Okami-san said, stepping into the hallway as Kyouko walked through the door. "How was your date?"

"It was fine," Kyouko said, smiling weakly and swallowing a lump in her throat. "I'm really tired though, so I think I'll go to bed early tonight."

The Okami-san's brow furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, climbing the stairs to her room.

She hung her dress back up and was putting on a pair of pajamas when her phone buzzed. Her smile revived a little when she saw the name displayed on the screen.

"Hello," she answered.

"Mou! If you're going to leave 37 messages, then keep your phone on you! I've been calling all night!" Kanae complained.

**AN: Aaaaaaaaaaand I ruined it. But, it's not over, so please don't kill me before the end! :D If you'd like to let me know what you think, feel free to leave me a review :D**


	13. Chapter 13 The Plot

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"I'm sorry I called you so many times, Mouko-san," Kyouko said.

"What happened?" Kanae asked. Normally, Kyouko wouldn't just tamely apologize. She would go on an hour long rant about how sorry she was to have inconvenienced her. Kanae didn't mind the brevity, however she didn't like the tone of Kyouko's voice. Something had happened.

"I— I must have done something wrong," Kyouko said, trying to hold back her tears.

"Wait, go back," Kanae said. "Did you end up going out with him or not?"

"I—I went," Kyouko said.

Kanae was surprised to say the least. From how panicked she sounded in her numerous messages, Kanae was sure she would have wormed a way out of it.

"I couldn't think of any excuses," Kyouko said. "I already told him I was free and he left before I could stop him. And was teasing me on the phone the whole time, so I thought maybe it was a joke. It's not that unusual for us to have dinner together, so I thought maybe if I just acted normal…"

Kanae sighed. Sometimes, Kyouko could be extremely dense. She was going to have to take this slowly.

"Ok, so tell me exactly what happened on your date," she said.

Kyouko recounted the conversation from the car ride, finding the okonomiyaki shop, the gawking waitress, their dinner conversation, and Ren's sudden change in attitude.

"Maybe he realized that I was thinking I could try to match his acting without getting pulled along by him and thought I was getting too full of myself," Kyouko said.

"It is _not_ that," Kanae said. "And you're sure you didn't mention Fuwa in there anywhere?"

"Of course not!" Kyouko said. "Not that I would want to talk about that idiot anyway, but do you know how scary Tsuruga-san gets when I mention him. Even after I explained that I'm not learning acting for revenge on him, he still gets scary. I don't get it!"

Kanae sighed. Of course Kyouko wouldn't understand why Ren would be upset hearing the girl he loved talk about the man she used to love. She didn't even know how Ren felt about her, which could be easily solved if he would just man up and confess…

"Then I really don't know why he would have gotten angry," Kanae said.

"I must have done something wrong," Kyouko said. "I don't know how dates are supposed to go. I'm sure I messed something up."

"Mou! You did nothing wrong!" Kanae said. "He's acting like a brat, so he can just get over it!"

"Eh? He wouldn't—"

"Then what did you do that was so horrible?" Kanae asked. "Why do you always have to be the one in the wrong? I know you look up to him, but he's human too, Kyouko. He can make mistakes."

"I— I guess so," Kyouko said, not sounding altogether convinced.

Kanae sighed again. If it was true that sighing made you lose your happiness, she was going to be miserable because of this girl. Well, she'd make Kyouko make it up to her.

"Why don't we go out to lunch together tomorrow and get ice-cream afterwards, my treat?" Kanae said cringing.

"Eh? Really, Mouko-san? Do you really mean it?" Kyouko asked, joy flooding back into her voice.

"If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have said it," Kanae said.

"Ah! Mouko-san! You're the best!" Kyouko squealed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kanae said. "You have Box R in the morning, right?"

"Yes, until noon," Kyouko said.

"Good, I'm free around then too, so we'll meet at LME and take it from there."

Kyouko enthusiastically agreed, and the two said goodnight and hung up.

* * *

><p>When Ren got home, he went straight to the liquor cabinet to enjoy a good stiff drink. Not that he could really enjoy much of anything. He'd thought he had a chance. He'd even gone so far as to convince her to go on a date with him, and then he'd gone and scared her away.<p>

He'd felt like he was getting into the rhythm of things, compliment her, back off a little, compliment her again, back off again, but when she alluded to _him_ he'd lost it. It was a date. It was supposed to be about the two of them, their time together, but when she mentioned the drama they would be doing together, it was her goal to beat Fuwa that came first to her mind. He felt like all his progress was nothing.

Ren stared at the bottle. This wouldn't change anything. Still, it might help him sleep. He took a couple shots and went to bed early. Maybe answers would come in the morning.

* * *

><p>The next day, both Kyouko's and Kanae's shootings went well, so they were able to meet up a little after twelve. They found a small restaurant with an ice-cream parlor attached near LME and had lunch.<p>

Kyouko still seemed a little upset. She was smiling and making conversation, but her exuberance was turned down a notch from usual.

"Did you see Tsuruga-san yet?" Kanae had asked.

Kyouko drooped a little at the question. "Not yet."

Kanae had made it a point to avoid the topic for the rest of the meal, but she would not let this go. She would just have to go about it another way.

"Ugh! I'm too stuffed to move," Kanae said.

"But, Mouko-san, you said we'd have ice-cream together," Kyouko pouted.

Kanae eyeballed the line at the ice-cream counter and let out a sigh. "Fine, but I really can't move, so you'll have to go get it."

Kyouko reached for her purse.

"No!" Kanae said. She reached into her own bag and pulled out a few bills. "I said this was my treat, remember? I'll watch your stuff, so just go stand in line and pick me out the smallest thing with the fewest calories."

Kyouko giggled. "You don't have to do that, Mouko-san. You already paid for lunch."

Kanae just glared.

"Ok," Kyouko said, with a smile and left to join the long line.

Kanae made sure Kyouko was blocked from view before reaching over and pulling her cell phone out of her purse. She scrolled through the contacts, found his number and hit call.

"Hello, Mogami-san," Ren sounded surprised and pleased.

"This is Kotonami," Kanae said.

"Oh, hello Kotonami-san," Ren said. "I saw Mogami-san's number, so I assumed it was her, how can I help you?"

"You can fix whatever it is you did on your _date_ last night," Kanae said, "or I will start pointing out to her all the men who are staring at her and all the dates she doesn't notice she's being asked on."

Kanae hung up the phone before Ren had a chance to reply, and placed the item back in Kyouko's bag.

"This was the smallest with the fewest calories," Kyouko said, returning with two small cones of plain frozen yogurt. She took her seat and handed Kanae a cone and her change.

"Hey, Kyouko," she said, leaning across the table. "The guy at the next table is totally checking you out."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

Kanae smirked. She hadn't given Ren a deadline. She might as well start making Kyouko aware now.

**AN: So, not really back to _the_ plot of this story, but here's one. Thank you, as always, for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I probably won't be able to answer reviews or messages today. Alas time consuming school projects stop for no one ): But I'll do my best to get back to you tomorrow, and I'll at least have another chapter to post. Hope you liked the chapter :D**


	14. Chapter 14 Confessions

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko looked more like a tomato than an actress by the time she saw Ren later that day. Kanae had dragged her, quite willingly, all over town, window shopping and pointing out the many admirers Kyouko didn't know she had along the way. Kanae had even puller her aside and told her that one of the clerks at a shop they'd gone into was shamelessly flirting with her. She hadn't believed it until the young man tried to give her his phone number.

At first, Kyouko had thought that most of the stares directed their way were for Kanae. She became a little more aware that some were for her after the phone number incident, but it wasn't until after she and Kanae parted ways that she was no longer able to turn a blind eye to the attention she was getting. Her first instinct was of course, to wonder if she'd spilled something on her clothes or messed up her hair or makeup, but after many glances in reflective surfaces, like the windows she was passing, assured her that everything was in order, she gave up that thought. She then started to notice the expressions of the men staring at her. She had seen those expressions before, on Ren's face.

Those expressions were the face of attraction, Kanae had told her. These men were attracted to her. Ren was attracted to her. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the idea.

"Good afternoon, Mogami-san," Ren said with a tentative smile.

Kyouko blushed even brighter, then frowned as she recalled the events of the latter half of yesterday evening.

"Could I talk to you for a minute?" Ren asked.

He wasn't angry anymore. If he was, her sensor would have alerted her to it.

"Um, ok," she agreed.

They found an unoccupied corner of LME and sat on the stairs. Ren let out a long sigh.

Kyouko looked up at him, wondering if she had again, done something to upset him.

"You don't have to be so worried, Mogami-san," he said with a small smile, "Though I know I only give you reasons to be anxious."

"Eh? No you don't," Kyouko said. "Well, maybe when I think about your eating habits and such, then I feel anxious about your health, but otherwise I think of you as a source of strength. Whenever something bad happens, I think 'Tsuruga-san will definitely be able to help,' and then I calm down."

Ren smiled weakly. "So I didn't make you anxious last night?"

Kyouko looked away. "Oh."

"I'm sorry," Ren said.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I shouldn't have acted that way last night. I let my feelings get the better of me, made you uncomfortable and ruined our date."

Kyouko blushed scarlet at the term 'date.' So he hadn't been teasing. He'd considered it a date after all. She ignored the thousand sensations that rushed through her at that realization and asked the more pressing question.

"Eh? But, wasn't it my fault? Didn't I do something to upset you?"

"Mogami-san, you didn't do anything wrong," he said. "I was simply being childish and I let my own…issues affect my behavior towards you. I shouldn't have done that."

"But I must have said or done something to upset you, or you wouldn't have gotten so angry. If I don't know what I did, how can I make sure not to do it again?" Kyouko asked, eyes pleading.

"Again?" he asked.

"Of course I don't want to upset you again, Tsuruga-san," she said. She didn't want that fake smile directed at her ever again. Even if his other smiles did dry out her grudges and make her heart temporarily stop, even if it gave her false hope— But then, he did ask her on a date, a _real_ date.

Her earlier conversation with Kanae flashed through her mind.

"That guy is attracted to you," she said.

"Eh? Isn't he just being friendly?" Kyouko asked.

"_This_ is being friendly," Kanae said, demonstrating a friendly smile. "_That_ is attraction."

"B—but Tsuruga-san smiles at me like that and he's—"

"Attracted to you!" Kanae shouted, drawing the attention of passersby.

Kanae had the dragged her away from the onlookers, all the while grumbling that Kyouko's obliviousness ought to have limits and that it made her do embarrassing things.

So Ren had asked her on a date and was attracted to her…

"So does that mean you'll give me a chance to make it up to you?" he asked.

"Eh? But I still don't know what it was that I did," Kyouko sputtered. He was asking to make it up to her, as if he'd been in the wrong, when clearly, something she'd said or done had upset him. She didn't understand.

"Can we make a deal?" he asked.

Kyouko furrowed her brow in confusion, but agreed.

"If you agree to let me have a do over, I'll tell you what it was that upset me."

Kyouko thought it was a little unfair that she should have to agree to something in order to know what she'd done. It seemed like common sense for him to tell her what she'd done so she could fix it. Then again, Ren taking her on a date didn't seem like such a horrible price to pay.

"Um, alright," she agreed, looking away and blushing.

Ren smiled and then sighed.

"The reason I got upset yesterday was because I was jealous."

Kyouko's head shot up.

"Jealous? Why?" she asked with a look of complete incomprehension. "Of whom?"

"When you mentioned getting closer to your goal…" he said.

"I was talking about you," she shouted, before realizing the import of her words. Her face turned bright red and she could no longer look Ren in the face.

"I'm your goal?" he asked with a dazzling smile.

"I— I want to be able to act opposite you and hold my own," she said, still studying the floor.

"I'm an idiot," Ren said, laughing at himself.

Kyouko ventured a glance at him again. "Eh? You're not at idiot! Why would you think that?"

"Because I was so jealous thinking that you were talking about beating Fuwa, that I ignored what turned out to be, possibly the best compliment I've ever gotten, and ruined my first date with the girl I— love," Ren finished the statement, haltingly.

Kyouko felt every muscle in her body tense. She couldn't move, her eyes were open wide in shock, and she could feel the heat from her blush covering every square inch of her body.

Ren loved her.

**AN: Another busy day! Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. I will respond eventually, and I do appreciate hearing what you have to say, but for now I think I will go pass out ;)**


	15. Chapter 15 Reaction

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren had messed up, badly. It wasn't supposed to have been like this. He was supposed to have gradually gotten Kyouko used to the idea of his feelings, the idea of dating him, and waited until she seemed ready to accept the fact that he loved her before actually telling her so. But as he was coming to know far too well, whenever he was with her, he seemed to lose his head and say and do all sorts of things he'd never meant to say or do.  
>Now, she was sitting before him, not moving, not blinking. She wasn't running and screaming. She wasn't slapping him and calling him a playboy, so that was a good sign, right? Then again, as the silence stretched, he began to think that even those reactions would be better than nothing.<p>

Finally, he saw her relax a little. She blinked and her eyes went back to their normal size. She gave him a little smile. A smile was a good sign, right?

"Thank you," Kyouko said. "You are very important to me too, Tsuruga-san."

Ren held his breath.

"But you should really be more careful with your words," she said. "If you'd said that to any other girl, she would have thought you meant 'love' in the romantic sense. I know you wouldn't purposely lead anyone on, but it would be really bad if someone got the wrong idea. What if another rumor got started?"

"Mogami-san, I—"

Ren was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

"Ah, looks like you're busy, Tsuruga-san, and I have LoveMe work to do, so I'll go first," Kyouko said, bowing politely and taking her leave.

Ren sat there for a moment dumbfounded, until the ringing of his phone pulled him back to reality.

"Hello," Ren answered. This was the first time he'd ever wanted to destroy his own phone.

"Ren?" Yashiro asked.

"What is it, Yashiro?" Ren asked, trying to sound more calmer than he was.

"Are you ok?"Yashiro asked.

"I'm fine," he said, concentrating on keeping his tone neutral. "What is it?"

"Ah, they want to move the photo shoot up half an hour, so we have to leave now if we want to make it. Where are you? Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Yashiro. I'll meet you in the parking garage."

Ren hung up and started toward his car, modeling, the last thing on his mind.

* * *

><p>"Why?" The President cried like a keening banshee.<p>

He had been following his favorite pastime of late, spying on Ren and Kyouko using his highly advanced security system with a newly added sound system, and had watched the entire botched confession take place. He pulled out a box of tissue to absorb the torrents of tears flooding from his eyes and wound the footage back.

He watched the scene over and over again, in hopes that somehow, something would change this time, that Kyouko would leap into Ren's arms and proclaim her undying love, or at least that Ren would go after her and fix her misinterpretation of his feelings, but nothing changed.

He had been watching them with glee all week. He had seen signs of progress. Kyouko had been willing to remain by Ren's side, despite the rumors which, a year ago, would have sent the young woman into a tirade about the uselessness of such relationships. He had seen her control her temper when Fuwa had appeared unannounced. She had even accepted a role opposite Ren, which though not blatantly romantic, had implied feelings of that sort. He had thought these were all signs that her heart was healing. But, maybe he had been too eager. Maybe he had been hoping for too much, too fast.

He buried his head in his hands and cried.

* * *

><p>"Good work today," Yashiro said, bringing Ren a bottle of ice cold mineral water.<p>

The star thanked him, taking the bottle and guzzling the entire thing. He handed the empty container back to his manager.

"I'm going to go change," he said.

His manager nodded and Ren disappeared down the hall where his dressing room was located. Yashiro scrutinized his retreating form. Ren had been acting strange all day. In the morning, he'd seemed depressed. After his lunch break, he'd seemed tense and anxious. He'd disappeared as soon as they'd returned to LME and reappeared even stranger than before. Something had happened, and Yashiro had a pretty good idea about who was involved.

When Ren reemerged, Yashiro was waiting with a bentou.

"Since they moved the schedule up, you have plenty of time before your next job, so relax and eat your dinner," Yashiro said. "If you don't, I'll get a scolding from Kyouko-chan."

Ren flinched.

"How is Kyouko-chan, today, by the way?"

"She's fine," Ren said.

So he had seen her.

"That's good," Yashiro said. "I was worried that the paparazzi might be running her ragged."

"I believe she's been doing a fairly good job of avoiding them," Ren said.

"That's good," Yashiro said. "So she didn't tell you she was upset about the rumors again or anything?"

"No," Ren said.

"Is she upset about something else then?" Yashiro asked.

"She's not upset," Ren said.

"So everything is fine between you two?" Yashiro asked incredulously.

"Yashiro," Ren said. "What do you really want to say?"

"Nothing," Yashiro said. "You just seemed upset, so I thought something must have happened with Kyouko-chan."

"Why does your mind automatically go straight to Mogami-san whenever you think I'm upset?" Ren asked.

"Because everything has been going fine at work and the only thing you have that bears even the slightest resemblance to a social life is your relationship with Kyouko-chan," Yashiro said.

"I do have a life outside of work," Ren said. "Not everything is about Mogami-san."

"Working out at the gym is not a social life," Yashiro said.

Ren glared.

"Fine," Yashiro said, "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you."

Ren ate another bite of his bentou.

"Ah, I almost forgot," Yashiro said, "My phone broke again and I'm missing some of the numbers for your directors, could I see yours?"

"Nice try, but you've done that to me before," Ren said. "I'm not sacrificing my phone to your curiosity."

"I told you, I'm not going to try and force it out of you. Look, two gloves. I can't possibly break it now," Yashiro said.

"Fine," Ren said, and handed over his phone.

Yashiro took it and scrolled through the numbers.

"Ren," he said.

"What?"

"Your phone only has numbers of people from work."

"And?"

"So do you have a separate cell phone for personal use?"

"No, it would only be a hassle to have a separate phone for work and personal use," Ren said.

"Hah!" Yashiro gloated, handing back the phone.

"What now?" Ren asked.

"Kyouko-chan _is_ your social life! There's no one else from outside of work. Something must have happened between the two of you!"

"You know, Mogami-san is technically someone from work too," Ren said.

"Ren, since it hasn't been affecting your work, as your manager, maybe I have no right to pry," Yashiro began.

"Then, don't," Ren said. "Everything is fine."

"But," Yashiro said, "as your friend, I would like to think that you can confide in me when something goes wrong. I'm not asking out of idle curiosity, Ren. I want to see you happy."

"I appreciate that," Ren said, genuinely smiling at Yashiro for the first time that day, "but this is something I need to work out on my own."

"Well, I'm here if you need me," Yashiro said.

"I know," Ren said. "Mogami-san's is not the only number that doubles for work and personal."

**AN: Yes, I am a little bit evil. I know. Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. anyway ;) Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	16. Chapter 16 Partial Truth

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kanae had been expecting a call from Kyouko. The girl would gush about how wonderful her sempai was. She would probably try to take the blame for having made him angry, no matter what he said to her, and talk about how kind he was for putting up with a lowly kohai such as herself. She would then go on and on about how right Kanae had been when she told her there was no need to worry, tell her that her intuition was not to be beat, and continue to gush about what an amazing friend Kanae was, and how lucky she was to have her.

Kanae would, of course, tell Kyouko to stop talking and get herself under control, lest she hang up and block her number then and there, but she would be smiling as she said it. Kyouko didn't need to know that part.

She was so sure that all these things would happen, that she left the volume on her phone all the way up when she went to bed, and as a result, was awakened by a spam text at 4:00AM. If it had been Kyouko, she would have yelled at her for waking her up, but as it was not, the text only served to remind her that Kyouko had not called her. She went back to sleep angry, and woke up angry, and with a headache.

She was not in a very tolerant mood, and gave death glares to any sibling, in-law, niece or nephew who dared get in her way as she left the house. She scared strangers on the street as she made her way to LME, and scared employees when she reached the building.

Sawara-san was rather jumpy when she checked in to see if she had any LoveMe work. It was only serving to irritate her further, and she was about to storm off to the LoveMe room when Sawara-san timidly stopped her.

"Um, Kotonami-san, have you seen Mogami-san?" he asked.

"She isn't here?" Kanae asked.

"Ah, well, she may be," he said, "but she hasn't checked in since yesterday morning, and I have a script for her. Maybe I'll try calling her…"

"I'll take it," Kanae said, holding out her hand.

He passed her the script. "Ah, thank you, Kotonami-san."

Kanae took the script and headed for the LoveMe room, thumb hovering over speed dial number one. When she caught a flash of chestnut hair coming out from behind an open locker, she slipped her phone back inside her bag.

"Sawara-san gave me this script for you," she said, tossing it onto the table with a thud.

Kyouko let out a little yelp before emerging from behind the locker door and launching herself toward her friend.

"Mouko-san!" Kyouko called, rocketing in Kanae's direction.

Kanae sidestepped her, causing Kyouko to have to cling to the doorframe, lest she go sprawling in the middle of the hallway.

"Mouko-san!" Kyouko whined. "Why do you always avoid me?"

"Because you're making that creepy face again. Who would want that up close?" she asked. "Now, quit it. You're not fooling anyone."

The corners of Kyouko's mouth drooped a bit, and she regained a more human expression. Kyouko's lying smile, although different from Ren's was formidable in its own way.

"What did Sawara-san send?" she asked, going to look at the script.

"I didn't look," Kanae said.

Kyouko's body jerked as if she'd been bitten as she picked up the script.

"What's it for?" Kanae asked, noticing the reaction.

"_Selling_," she replied.

"Oh, your drama with Tsuruga-san? They must have finalized the script for your return episode."

"You're probably right," Kyouko said, taking the script and putting it in her locker.

Kanae frowned. Kyouko had been gushing about how excited she was to join the cast of the drama on a more permanent basis less than a week ago. Her reaction now was completely the opposite. Something was wrong.

"Speaking of Tsuruga-san," Kanae said. "How'd it go with him? You did see him yesterday, right?"

After what Kanae had said to him on the phone, she didn't think he would have wasted much time in setting things right with Kyouko.

"Yes," she said. "We talked for a little while."

"And?" Kanae asked.

"And it's fine now," Kyouko said, resuming the overly wide smile. "He even apologized."

"What aren't you telling me?" Kanae asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Eh? That's everything," Kyouko said, still smiling. "What else would there be?"

"So he apologized?" Kanae asked.

Kyouko nodded.

"And that's it?" she said skeptically.

Kyouko's smile faltered a bit.

"What else?" Kanae demanded.

"Eh? There's nothing—"

"If you want any more overnighters in the foreseeable future, you will tell me what actually happened, now," Kanae said.

"No! Mouko-san! Don't ban me from your house!" Kyouko wailed. "I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

Kanae pulled out a chair, sat down, crossed her arms and legs and waited for Kyouko to begin.

"It's just— It's just a little embarrassing," Kyouko said.

"Mou! You already know every embarrassing secret I have," Kanae said. "Do we have to do this every time? Spill!"

"It— it seems that Tsuruga-san got mad because he thought I was talking about beating that idiot when I mentioned my goal for acting. I was trying really hard to create a new me through my acting and to be able to match up to Tsuruga-san, but he still thought I would waste my time on that idiot. It's somehow really embarrassing for Tsuruga-san to get that impression, and even though he apologized for thinking that, I still didn't want to say it out loud," Kyouko finished with a pout.

"Mou! Why are you still acting like it's your fault that he got the wrong idea?" Kanae said. "Just accept that he was wrong, like he said, and get over it."

"Thanks, Mouko-san," Kyouko said. "You're such a good friend."

"You had me worried that it was something important!" Kanae said. "You get upset over the dumbest things sometimes."

"I'm sorry you have to put up with such an annoying friend," Kyouko said.

"What did I tell you about saying that sort of thing? Mou! That's the most annoying thing about you, not the stuff you're apologizing for," Kanae said. "Have some pride as an actress! Being humble is one thing. Being a doormat is another."

"I know," Kyouko said. "I've tried that before. I'm done with that. I'm done with all of it."

Kanae went to her job and left Kyouko musing in the LoveMe room.

Kyouko pulled out the script Kanae had brought and began absently thumbing through its pages. She had been so excited to start working on it before. It had been an opportunity to face Ren head on as an actress. Now, she didn't even know how to face him as a woman.

He loved her. She couldn't play dumb forever, especially with the drama throwing them into contact with one another on a regular basis. He wouldn't try to talk to her about his confession in front of anyone, and Yashiro would be there most of the time. She could make sure to stay near the other actors and actresses on set, but sooner or later, they would be alone together, and then, she didn't know what she was going to do.

**AN: Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. If you'd like to let me know what you think, feel free to leave a review :D**


	17. Chapter 17 The Day Of Reckoning

**Warning, the title of this chapter is much more exciting than the contents. Also, I do not own Skip Beat!**

"So today's the day," Yashiro said, as he and Ren walked into the studio.

"Yes," Ren said. He knew better than to feign ignorance this time. After days without seeing Kyouko, she would be rejoining the cast of _Selling_. He would see her today. At first, he'd wondered if she would pull out of the project just to avoid him, but he hadn't hear anything of that nature, so she must still be coming.

"I wonder if she's here yet," Yashiro said.

Ren scanned the room. Kyouko was nowhere to be found, but he saw the director, and as soon as they made eye contact, the man approached them with a knowing smile.

"Ah, Tsuruga-Kun," Director Yamaguchi said, "Kyouko-san is already in makeup. It seems that she's really excited to be back. She came in early."

"Is that so?" Ren asked, returning the director's smile.

"I was a little surprised," he said. "I thought you two would have come together this time too, but maybe your agency is encouraging you to keep your distance because of all the press? Sorry we couldn't keep it just between you and the cast and crew."

"Not at all," Ren said, with a smile. "Rumors are bound to happen if you spend enough time with someone. Something like this probably would have happened sooner or later anyway."

The director smiled conspiratorially. "It didn't have such bad results, did it?"

Ren gave a tight smile. The director had no idea.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat, "Kyouko-san is in makeup, but she should be done soon. We'll start filming the reunion scene as soon as you're both ready."

Ren nodded and the director went off to discuss the filming with the camera crew.

By the time, Ren was finished with hair, makeup, and was in costume, the camera crew was already ready, and judging from the movement of a chair on set, Kyouko was already in her place.

In the first episode they had filmed together, Kyouko's character, Rika had witnessed a drug deal at her high school and been beaten up to try and keep her quiet. Rika however, was not the kind of girl to be silenced, and went directly to her childhood friend, and local police detective, Tasuke, played by Ren. Tasuke had convinced Rika's parents to send her away to stay with her grandparents until the investigation was over.

Tasuke had begun an investigation which, over the next few episodes, proved the drug dealing to be more than a couple of high school students trying to get high. Rika's return would only complicate matters.

The director noticed Ren, and called for places. The high backed office chair facing away from the cameras stilled, and Ren got ready to step onto set.

"Action," the director called.

Tasuke, stepped into his office with a dejected sigh and shut the door behind him.

"Did you miss me that much?" Rika asked, swiveling around in the chair to face him.

The look of shock on Tasuke's face as he saw Rika was real. Ren hadn't seen Kyouko for several days, and the artificial bruises looked painfully real.

"Then you shouldn't have sent me away," Rika said, taking Tasuke's silence as a yes. She flushed slightly under his scrutinizing gaze and turned away. Was that blush Kyouko's or Rika's? Stupid question.

"What are you doing here, Rika?" Tasuke asked.

"I was bored," she said.

Tasuke stared at the bruises. The investigation wasn't over yet. The kids who'd beat Rika up were in custody, but whoever gave them the drugs wasn't.

"Rika, you're going back now. It's not safe for you to be here." he said.

Rika raised a hand to purpled mark on her cheek. "Oh, it's not that bad. Nothing a little cover up won't take care of."

"Uh huh," he said patronizingly. "Now where's your stuff, I'm taking you to the station and putting you on a train myself."

Her expression changed from playful to angry. "I'm not leaving."

"I'll call your grandparents and make sure they let me know when you get there so you can't pull another stunt like this," he said, ignoring her and putting on his coat. "Where's your stuff? I'll carry it for you."

"I'm not leaving," she said, rising from Tasuke's desk chair.

Tasuke looked around the room, spotted her backpack and picked it up. He then took her arm and began to guide her out from behind his desk.

Rika shook him off and took a step back.

"I'm. Not. Leaving," she said, enunciating every word.

"Rika," he said, leaning in until they were at eye level with each other.

The girl blushed at his proximity.

Ren had to fight to stay in character.

"I'll buy you a hot chocolate at the station before you go," he said.

Rika let out a frustrated scream and yanked her backpack from his hands.

"I'm not a child!" she shouted. "You can't buy me with hot chocolate, and I'm not leaving!"

The girl, stormed past him and toward the door.

"Then where are you going?" he asked.

"Home," she said. "I'm not abandoning my friends, my family and my home just because some of my idiot school mates decided to get stoned."

She exited the office and slammed the door.

Tasuke opened the door and ran after her calling for her to wait.

The director called cut only at the end of the scene. Ren and Kyouko stood silently on the edge of the set as the director reviewed the footage, waiting to see if they would have to redo any parts of the scene.

"Great," the director called. Let's move on to the next.

They moved from scene to scene with near equal ease. By the time the director called a break for lunch, he was smiling from ear to ear.

"I think you should be crowned the one take king and queen," he said as they stepped off set.

Ren glanced at Kyouko to see every inch of exposed skin had turned bright red.

"Thank you very much," she said with a deep bow.

"No, thank you," he said with a chuckle. "If only every shooting would go this smoothly."

"I'll try my best to make sure it does so you won't regret having given me this opportunity," Kyouko said.

"I'm certain that I won't," he said. "Now, you two go eat lunch, all your hard work deserves a break."

Ren nodded and Kyouko bowed as the director headed off to eat his own lunch.

Ren and Kyouko were left alone. Yashiro had temporarily disappeared. Ren suspected he was hiding out somewhere nearby, with a camera, but he didn't know when his next opportunity to talk to Kyouko alone would come, so he had to take it.

"Mogami-san," he said.

Kyouko flinched, but looked up to meet his eye.

"Have lunch with me?"

**AN: Thank you to everyone for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I appreciate you! Am I being slightly less mean now? Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D **


	18. Chapter 18 Lunch Break

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

She didn't know how he did it, probably never would, but somehow, all he had to do was give her that smile and all logic would fly out the window. She had been terrified of meeting him again, had been self conscious, even in the midst of acting, which _never_ happened to her. She had been keeping an eye on the exits and staying near the other cast members or camera crew, but in the blink of an eye, all her careful planning had been destroyed. The director had been talking to them one moment, and the next, they were seated at a table at the far end of the studio's cafeteria.

The other actors and camera crew were all sitting in their own little cliques, on the opposite end of the cafeteria. The director had disappeared, and Yashiro was still nowhere to be seen.

"Are you going to eat?" Ren asked.

"Oh, yes," Kyouko said, taking a bite of her hitherto untouched food.

"Who would have thought I'd ever be the one scolding you to eat?" Ren said with a gentle laugh.

Kyouko laughed nervously. "You need to eat too, Tsuruga-san."

He took a bite of rice to appease her.

"Don't leave the meat and vegetables," she scolded, regaining a bit of her usual force. "You need to eat protein to maintain healthy muscles, and vegetables have fiber and a lot of vitamins."

Ren gave her an amused smile. It lit up his eyes, which sped up the beating of her heart. She looked away with a blush and took another bite of food. Really, that expression should be illegal.

"I take care of myself," Ren said.

Kyouko took the bait and looked up.

"I seem to recall taking care of you once because you hadn't," she said.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he asked.

"Maybe I would if you would start to take care of yourself properly," she said, "but I see no evidence of remorse."

"Can you blame me?" he asked, "With such a nurse, you should be thankful I don't get sick more often."

Kyouko turned beat red. Ren was not being his usual self. Well, occasionally he would become the emperor of the night and flirt with her in a similar manner, but he was never serious about it. He just liked to tease her with his playboy ways. This was different. The look was different, less seductive, more gentle, and his comments were toned down a bit. He wasn't offering to teach her to kiss, or do _things_ to her on the spot, so he wasn't the emperor, but he wasn't Tsuruga Ren either.

"Look," he said, pulling her back to reality, "all gone."

Kyouko stared at his plate to find all the vegetables and meat gone, and only a few grains of rice remaining. She smiled.

"And you've barely made a dent in yours. Are you feeling alright?" he asked, reaching over to feel her forehead.

Kyouko jerked back.

"Mogami-san," Ren said, hurt flooding his features, "do you really think I would _ever_ hurt you?"

"Eh? No!" she answered immediately.

She had been caught off guard by the sudden movement, so she had flinched. She hadn't meant to do it, and when she saw the look of pain she had caused on Ren's face, she wanted nothing more than to wipe it away. She would have told him she truly believed the moon was made of cheese if she thought it would take that look away, so she'd automatically responded that she didn't think he would hurt her. As her own words filtered through her mind, she realized that they were true.

"Good," Ren said, the gentle smile that had been her constant lunch companion, once again before her.

She didn't know what made her do it. If you told her a mere thirty seconds ago that she was about to do what she did next, she would have called you crazy, a liar, or checked to see if you were the one with a fever. Maybe she was still caught up in trying to erase any trace of Ren's pain, but for whatever reason, she did it.

Kyouko reached out for Ren's hand, now laying on the table between them, took it in her own, and brought it up to her forehead.

"See, no fever," she said, offering him a little smile.

When she glanced up at him, she was nearly blinded. He was is god smile mode, perhaps a step above that, but she couldn't think of what it would be called. She couldn't really think at all. She could feel her grudges dying, their cries of despair, finally distracting her enough to tear her eyes away.

She dropped his hand.

The spell was broken.

"I'm really fine. My appetite is totally normal, so I'm going to finish my lunch now, so I'm ready to go when we need to be back on set. I definitely don't want to cause any delays. Especially since I'm new, and wasn't even supposed to be a permanent member of the cast, so I absolutely don't want to make things any harder on everyone than I already have," she rambled.

"So, are you going to eat?" Ren asked with a chuckle.

"Yes. I'm eating. I'm eating right now," she said, finally taking a bite.

She kept her eyes firmly on her food as she ate, not daring to venture a glance up at Ren, which was perhaps a good thing, as the smile on his face caused several of the female cast members to faint, even from all the way across the cafeteria. If Kyouko had looked at such close range, her heart may have stopped.

Kyouko finished eating with about fifteen minutes to spare before they were due back on set. She excused herself, trying to look at Ren only out of the corner of her eye, and went to change to her next outfit.

When she made it to the privacy of her own dressing room, her heart finally started to decelerate. She had been terrified that when she saw him, Ren would bring up his confession, and she still didn't know how to respond. She had vowed never to love again, and Ren had told her, as Bo, that he didn't have the right to love anyone. Had something changed for him since then? Had something changed for her?

Kyouko let out a shaky breath. Today had given her more to think about than she could have imagined, even without any direct mention of Ren's feelings, but those thoughts would have to wait.

"Get it together, Kyouko," she told herself. "You need to be Rika now."

When she returned to the set, she was already in character and ready to film, her own cares put away for later examination.

**AN: See, I'm not _entirely_ evil ;) Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	19. Chapter 19 Scenes and Suspicions

**Another chapter title that is more interesting than the contents... I do not own Skip Beat!**

Rika stood leaning against her bedroom door, pressing down the button to keep it locked. Tasuke stood on the other side, pounding on the wooden panels.

"Rika, open the door," Tasuke called.

"I'm not coming out," Rika said. "My parents agreed to let me stay. I'm not going back just because _you_ want me to."

"I don't _want_ you to go away," Tasuke said.

"You don't?" she asked surprise and suspicion filling her voice. Tasuke couldn't, but the audience would also see the faint blush color the girl's cheeks.

"Of course I don't want to send you away," he said.

Rika's hand hovered over the doorknob, as if contemplating opening the door.

"But it's not safe here, and the sooner you leave, the sooner I can focus on this investigation, get it solved, and you can come home."

Her grip tightened over the lock button, her face set, "I'm already home."

"Rika," he said, in a pleading tone.

She was silent.

Tasuke's expression changed, and as if performing an experiment, he said, "You're behaving like a child."

The door flew open, causing Tasuke, who had been leaning into it, to fall forward and stop just short of the girl he had been baiting. They were a hair's breadth away from each other. Rika's face was bright red, though her expression made it difficult to tell whether it was from anger, embarrassment, or some combination of the two.

Tasuke cleared his throat and quickly stepped back, faint color rising even in his cheeks.

"I am not a child anymore," she said.

He shook his head, as if to clear some unwanted thoughts.

"I know," he said. "So, since you're a reasonable adult, go back to your grandparents until this is over."

"I'm not going to hide," she said.

"Rika," he pleaded.

"Those stupid druggies have already done whatever they're going to do to me," she said. "Why would they care about a single high school girl?"

"Because you're the one who turned them in," he said. "They'll be out for revenge."

"Any act of revenge they try on me will only focus police suspicion on them," she said. "I don't know any more than I already reported, and they'll want to stay as unnoticed as possible, so they won't try anything on me again."

"Criminals aren't always that smart," he said. "And they know that we're childhood friends. They might make threats against you to try and get me to back off."

"Then they'll expose themselves and you'll solve the case all that much faster. See? Me being here is win-win," she said with a smirk.

"Rika," he pleaded.

"My parents already agreed to let me stay," she reminded him.

"Rika," he said, trying to get her attention.

"Even if you send me away, I'll just keep coming back."

"Rika," he said, pulling his stern police officer tone.

She was silent.

"You are never to go anywhere alone under any circumstances," he said.

Rika jumped and squeaked out a little cheer.

"Keep your cell phone charged and on you at all times," he said.

She nodded.

"I will be driving you to and from school," he said.

She nodded again.

"And _never_ go anywhere alone."

"You already said that one," she told him.

"That's because it's important," he said. "I mean, not even the bathroom."

Rika cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't mean you have to hold hands while you— You know what I mean," he said, blushing.

Rika giggled.

"Thank you, Tasuke-nii!" she said, hugging him tightly around the waist.

"I thought you said you weren't a child anymore."

"Should I thank you with a kiss instead, then?" she asked, looking up at him, arms still encircling his waist.

"I meant calling me 'Tasuke-nii,'" he said with a furious blush.

"Thank you, Tasuke," she said, squeezing him again before looking up to ask, "Is that better?"

The director called cut and Kyouko seemed to teleport out of Ren's arms. She seemed to have the ability to get away from him at top speed. He let out a sigh. Though it was more of a crime drama than a romance one, Ren still wished that life would imitate art, at least in some ways.

The romance in the drama was not blatant. Tasuke and Rika were childhood friends, several years apart in age. Rika spent much of the time trying to show Tasuke that she was no longer a child, and Tasuke spent most of his trying to use the investigation to distract him from his growing awareness of that fact.

Ren knew that Kyouko tended to become her characters, during filming at least, but he wished that when the role was over, Kyouko would retain a little of Rika's self confidence. He wouldn't be opposed to her retaining the physical demonstrativeness either.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a gentle, "Um, Tsuruga-san?"

He turned to Kyouko with a smile. "Yes, Mogami-san?"

"I just wanted to apologize for— for hugging you like that," she said, glancing up shyly. It was enough to make him lose his mind.

"That's quite alright," he said. "It was in the script, and it's not as if we haven't done it off camera before."

Kyouko turned bright red.

"That was different!" she said. "You were comforting me! You make it sound like—"

She stopped taking when she realized that Yashiro, the Director, the other actors, and the entire camera crew, were smiling at them with knowing eyes.

"It's no wonder they have such good chemistry," she heard someone whisper.

Kyouko was bright red and stiff as a board.

Ren had to take a deep breath to control himself. There were many things he wanted to say and do, but Kyouko looked like she might explode if she was pushed any further.

"Remember the actor's rule of heart?" he asked.

Kyouko relaxed enough to nod her head.

"Then why are you apologizing?" he asked with a smile.

"I guess, there's no reason to," she said calming down and beginning go back to her usual color.

The director grinned and approached the two, enthusiastically commending them for their hard work. The scene had turned out better than the way he'd pictured it. It had been the same all day.

"I really wish there were more actors like you two," he told them. "We saved so much time, we could have filmed more, but I wasn't anticipating this, so we'll have to wait for next time after all."

Kyouko again thanked him for the opportunity, and he went off with a smile.

After the director disappeared down the hall, Kyouko started to head to her dressing room to change out of costume, but Ren stopped her.

"Mogami-san, can I offer you a ride home?" Ren asked.

"Um, actually, I'm not going home," Kyouko said.

Ren quirked an eyebrow.

"I um, actually have another job tonight, so I'm going there," she said.

"I can take you there instead," Ren offered. "When does your job end? I could even take you home later."

"No!" Kyouko said. "Um, I mean, it'll take a while, and I'd hate to trouble you, so please don't bother."

"It's no trouble at all, Mogami-san," Ren said. "Where do you need to go?"

"TBM," Kyouko said, barely above a whisper.

"Ah, I have a friend who works there, so I can go say hello and give you a ride," he said. "It'll be killing two birds with one stone."

"Um, alright," she agreed reluctantly. "But I already have a ride home, so please don't wait for me."

Kyouko's behavior made Ren all the more eager to give her a ride. He was especially concerned about who was giving her a ride. Kanae didn't have a car, so who was it? Someone from the job she mentioned? And since when had she had a job TBM?

Well, it really would be killing two birds with one stone. He would see what he could find out when he dropped her off. Maybe the chicken would know.

**AN: Life has done that thing where it rears its ugly head, so I may not be able to update every day, as I have been, and responses to reviews will probably continue to be slow for a while. I still appreciate hearing from you, and I will continue to try to update every day, but if it doesn't happen, know that I'm probably not dead, nor have I ditched this story. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think.**


	20. Chapter 20 Close Call

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

It was almost the worst situation she could imagine. Ren was walking her to her next job, her job as Bo on Yappa Kimagure Rock. She had to shake him somehow, but short of pointing off into the distance and fleeing at top speed while he was turned away, she didn't know how to do it. And then there was the problem of Ren's long legs. She shuddered as she recalled the one time she had attempted to escape from him.

"Cold?" Ren asked, noticing the movement.

"Hmm?" She asked. His question had pulled her out of her thoughts of escape.

"I asked if you were cold," he said with a smile. "You can wear my jacket."

Kyouko felt her face heat up.

"No! I'm fine," she said. "It would be silly to put on a jacket just for the little distance to the building. "

Her own words reminded her of how woefully close she was to her doom.

Yashiro had claimed to have paperwork waiting at LME, so Ren had dropped him off first and then insisted on taking Kyouko all the way to her job. She suggested dropping her off at the curb, but he wouldn't hear of it. He would walk her inside.

"You don't have to give it back when we get in the building, you know," he said, beginning to shrug off his jacket.

"No! I'm really not cold. I promise. I just shivered because I had a truly terrifying thought," she said.

Ren's brow creased. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," she lied. "It's really nothing. It was just a stupid thought."

Ren wouldn't actually roast her over a spit when he found out she was Bo. He would probably just feel hurt and betrayed and refuse to ever speak to her again. He heart clenched. Why was the second thought so much more terrifying than the first?

"It couldn't be nothing to make you shiver like that," he said.

"No. It's really fine," she said.

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"You're not being bothered by that singer again, are you?" he asked, aura growing dark.

"No! I haven't seen him since the day before Vain— Valentine's day," she said. "It was nothing. I'm fine."

They reached the building and Ren opened the door for Kyouko.

"Wait, you saw him before Valentine's day?" he asked, following her inside.

Kyouko wanted to kick herself. He wasn't supposed to know about that. She had been focusing so much on avoiding the topic of Bo, she inadvertently lead to other topics she'd rather he didn't know about.

"Um, yes," she said timidly.

"Why didn't you say anything to me about it?" he asked.

Kyouko could feel her anger sensor straining toward Ren.

"I— I just ran into him in public and he didn't really do anything to me so—"

"He didn't _really_ do anything to you, or he didn't do anything to you?" Ren asked.

Kyouko didn't know how to explain the horrors of the kidnapping of grudges. She would have to bring up Shou, which always made Ren angry, and he was already angry.

"No, well— he um— actually, he—" Kyouko attempted to find the words to explain, and hopefully get Ren to calm down.

"Kyouko-chan, you're early," called a friendly voice, saving her from further troubles.

"Hikaru-san," Kyouko greeted. For a fraction for a second, she was relieved at the interruption, but then glancing back and forth between the two men, she realized just how bad the situation could become. They were looking curiously at one another. If she didn't do something quickly, Hikaru was sure to give some incriminating evidence as to her role for tonight.

"Ah, I'd better go get ready. Let's go, Hikaru-san. Good evening, Tsuruga-san. Thank you for the ride. See you next time," Kyouko said in one breath, grabbing Hikaru by the sleeve and dragging him off down the hall. Ren was left in the lobby, staring after them.

Kyouko felt extremely rude, but she wanted to survive. She would try and think of a plausible excuse and apologize later.

"Kyouko-chan, you don't have to walk so fast," Hikaru said, "You're early remember? Where are we going anyway?"  
>Kyouko looked around her and realized that she had been wandering down the halls of TBM taking turns at random. She let out a breath and laughed at herself.<p>

"Sorry, Hikaru-san," she said. "I guess I'm just really eager to get to work today."

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. "You looked like you were about to cry back there."

"Ah, I'm fine," she said. "Shall we go find the others?"

"Sure," he said, smiling.

"Oh, and Hikaru-san," Kyouko said plaintively, "Could I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course!" he said enthusiastically. "What can I do for you?"

"Um, if Tsuruga-san ever asks, could you not tell him that I'm Bo?"

"Um, alright," he said. "I don't really get why you don't want people to know, since you're so good at it, but I won't say anything."

"Thank you!" Kyouko said, smiling brightly.

"Um, yeah, no problem," Hikaru said with a blush. "Let's go get ready for the show."

They made their way to their usual pre-show hang-out and found Yuusei and Shin'ichi there waiting. Kyouko placed the other two Bridge Rock members under and injunction of secrecy as well, before running off to change into her Bo costume.

The show went smoothly, as usual. The Bridge Rock members had had a good time with the guest, making it all the more enjoyable for the audience to watch, and Bo had, of course had his fair share of the applause. The chicken was a favorite with the audience and guests alike.

Kyouko had relaxed by the time the show was over, and after a cursory glance around the room to make sure Ren wasn't around, she headed back to change.

Therefore, when she arrived in front of the room where Bo's costumes was kept and found Ren leaning against the wall to the side of the door, she was rather shocked.

"Hi," the actor said, offering up a tight smile.

"Hi," Kyouko said, raising a wing. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she had to remind herself that there were plenty of layers of fabric and foam between herself and the man before her to keep her identity safe.

"I did some checking," Ren said. "I never actually knew what show you were on. When I mentioned 'the chicken' at the front desk, they knew exactly who I was looking for."

Kyouko felt her heart leap into her throat. Had they told him who she was?

"Bo from Yappa Kimagure Rock," Ren said. "I heard you're pretty popular."

Kyouko waved her wings before her in denial.

"No, no. I'm just your standard, garden variety show chicken," she said in her usual disguised voice.

"Well, standard, garden variety show chicken, Bo," Ren said with a smile, "I was wondering if you could help me out."

Kyouko swallowed. This was going to be a long and treacherous evening.

**AN: *wipes sweat from brow* I made it! Again, still trying to post daily, just know I'm not dead/ abandoning this story if it doesn't happen. I'll try and respond to reviews too, but it will probably take longer. I kind of figured most people would rather have a new chapter than a reply reply from me... Thank you again to all who read, review, subscribe etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	21. Chapter 21 Bo Talks

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"So, then, what can I do for you?" the costumed Kyouko asked after they had reached a suitably deserted hallway.

"Um, have you heard the rumors?" he asked.

Kyouko fought not to visibly react.

"Ah, about you and that new actress? Is she the one? Are congratulations in order?"

Ren let out a long sigh.

"Sorry, never mind," Kyouko said. "Go ahead."

"No, you're right. It's her, but I don't know if congratulations are in order," he said with a harsh laugh.

Kyouko's heart nearly stopped. After his confession, she'd been sure that the girl he'd been talking about was her, but believing it to be true and hearing it from his mouth were two different things. Now she had definitive proof.

"So, you're not dating?" she asked.

He laughed again. "Does one disastrous date count?"

She wasn't sure what to say.

"Depends," she said, trying to play it safe.

"On what?" he asked.

Kyouko was, again unsure of what to say. They weren't really dating were they? Maybe she should have just said no. She may have had experience with love, but she didn't have any experience with dating.

"Um, on whether you go on another date?" she tried. One date wasn't really dating, was it? She wasn't sure whether two dates was dating either, but it had to be closer.

Ren seemed to brighten up for a moment, before crashing back into a cloud of despair.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I had a promise for another date, until I screwed up," he said. "Now I'm lucky if I can get her to look me in the eye."

Kyouko felt her chest tighten. Was she really the one responsible for Ren's gloom? Did her avoidance really bother him so much?

"What do you mean by 'screwed up?'" she asked.

"I confessed too soon," he said. "Now she's terrified of me."

"It's not you," she said. "It's love."

"What?" he asked.

Kyouko panicked, realizing what she'd just said.

"Um, she's a member of Lory Takarada's famous LoveMe section, isn't she?" she asked. "Doesn't that mean she has some sort of aversion to love? So it's probably love she's scared of, not you."

She waited for Ren's eye's to light up with comprehension, for him to snatch the head off of her costume, give her his most terrifying glare, take back his confession and tell her that he could never again associate with such a deceitful and despicable kohai. Instead he just sighed, for what seemed like the dozenth time.

"Isn't her being scared of my love for her and her being scared of me the same thing?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She couldn't say it. It wasn't his love she was afraid of. It was her own. If she loved again, she would no doubt get her heart broken again, and when he stopped loving her, she didn't think she'd be able to save herself by simply turning her love to hatred this time. When he abandoned her, she would break. If she was his kohai, she could be his kohai forever. If she was the girl he loved, it would only be temporary.

"Well, maybe it's for the best," she said.

Ren looked up at the chicken with wide eyes.

"Didn't you say that you couldn't love anyone anyway?" she asked. "Or is it different now?"

"No," Ren said. "I still don't have the right to love her, but it's too late."

"Maybe if you just focus on your career for a while," she suggested.

"What's with this attitude all of a sudden?" Ren asked. "Aren't you the one who told me to seduce her as if my life depended on it?"

Kyouko felt herself blush from head to toe. She actually had told him something like that. She took a deep breath and tried to regain control of herself.

"Ah, yes well I thought it would help you out, but now you just seem upset. Maybe it would be better to give up on that girl. You're _the_ Tsuruga Ren after all. You can get any girl you want."

Ren looked up and met her gaze with a terrifying glare. Even the barrier of the costume wasn't enough to keep the waves of anger from reaching her. Her anger sensing antenna fought its way through Bo's headpiece and began basking in the glow of Ren's hatred.

"Could you refrain from rubbing in the idea that I can get any girl except the one I love?" he asked.

Kyouko fell to the floor in a dogeza. It was rather difficult, as she was encumbered by the body of a giant chicken, but it was her automatic response to Ren's anger.

"I'm so sorry!" she said. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it. I just thought you might be happier with someone who wasn't so difficult to deal with."

"Could you not insult her either?" he asked, laughingly. His anger had mostly dissipated.

"I'm sorry," she bowed again. She never would have thought she would be bowing down to apologize for insulting herself.

"It's fine as long as you understand," he said.

She finally righted herself and sat back down beside him.

"It really would be simpler if I didn't love her," he said with a sad smile.

Kyouko's chest clenched. "So will you give up on her?"

"That's impossible," he said.

"So what about what you said about not being able to have a relationship with someone important?" she asked.

"It'll be difficult," he said, "and she may hate me later, but I'll just have to make sure to make her happy and hope she'll forgive me when the time comes. That is, if I can get her to give me a chance in the first place."

"Eh?" she asked. Sometimes Ren didn't make any sense.

"It's nothing," he said. "Thanks for listening. I'll try talking to her again."

"No problem," she said.

Ren rose to leave and she got up to go change out of her Bo costume.

"Oh, by the way, you wouldn't happen to know where Kyouko works, would you?" Ren asked, turning back. "She has a job at TBM too."

"Ah, I've never run into her before," Kyouko said. Well, it was true, strictly speaking.

"Ok," he said. "Maybe I'll asked at the front desk again."

"Ah! But I think I know someone who might know, wait right there and don't move!" she said.

Ren stood there, blinking as Kyouko waddled as fast as she could down the hall.

Kyouko ran to the room where the costume was kept and changed at light speed. She peaked out the door to make sure no one was watching and then sped back to where she had left Ren. She paused to catch her breath just out of sight and then walked casually up to him.

"Tsuruga-san, what are you still doing here?" she asked, affecting great surprise.

"I was hoping to see you again," he said, unleashing his dreaded god-like smile on her. "Are you done with your job yet?"

"Um, yes," she said. "I just finished."

"Is your ride terribly set on taking you home, or could I have the pleasure?" he asked.

"Ah, um y—you can," she said blushing. Her ride was her bicycle. It wouldn't mind waiting at TBM.

"Good," he said. "Then shall we go?"

"Alright," Kyouko agreed, and they made their way to his car.

Kyouko could feel Ren's eyes on her in the passenger seat as he cast her a gentle smile. She was thankful for the darkness. Their recent conversation was playing on a loop in her head, and she was sure her blush would give her away.

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	22. Chapter 22 Good Mood

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"You're in a good mood," Yashiro observed as they drove to the set of _Selling_. "And Kyouko-chan's not even going to be on set today."

"Do all my good moods have to have something to do with Mogami-san?" Ren asked, trying to sound exasperated. The smile on his face gave the lie to his tone.

"Yes," Yashiro answered.

"Think what you want," Ren said. "You will anyway."

"I will because I'm right," Yashiro mumbled, turning to look out the window.

Well, he was right after all. He was usually right these days. Tsuruga Ren had been an extremely stoic man. He had been unfailingly gentle. Nothing ruffled his feathers. Nothing made him feel anything real, until Kyouko had come back into his life. Since she had returned, he had begun to experience the both terrifying and rewarding consequences of human emotions.

Today was the rewarding side. After his talk with Bo last night, he'd regained his determination. Though Kyouko deserved better than him, he couldn't stop loving her, so he would make up for his poor qualifications by making her happy. He just had to win her first, starting with a date.

* * *

><p>He had been glancing over at her throughout the ride. She'd remained silent, gazing out the window, but he'd caught snatches of her blushing profile as they'd passed under streetlights. She was conscious of him. It was a start.<p>

"Thank you for the ride, Tsuruga-san," Kyouko had said as they pulled up to the Darumaya. She made to get out of the car, but Ren stopped her.

"Mogami-san," he said, placing a hand on her arm. "Could you wait a moment?"

Kyouko didn't answer, but she took her hand off the door handle and settle back into her seat.

"It'll be a few days until we have filming together again," he said.

Kyouko glanced up at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

Ren felt his heart beating faster.

"Um, can I see you before then?" he asked.

Kyouko stiffened.

"You promised me a do over of our date, remember?"

"Um, yes," she said.

"I really would like to make it up to you," he said. "Would you let me prove to you that I'm not always such a terrible escort?"

"Eh? You weren't terrible!" she said. "It was a lot of fun, well up until…"

"Until I ruined it," he offered with a grin.

"No! It was my fault too for not being clear," Kyouko said with a blush.

"No it wasn't," Ren said. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"You don't need to keep apologizing," Kyouko said. "You don't need to make it up to me either."

Ren drooped.

"Does that mean I can't have a do over after all?" he asked, giving her his puppy dog eyes.

"Eh? No, I mean— it doesn't have to be a do over," she said.

"So it can just be a second date?" he asked.

"Eh? No, I meant— I— um—"

"Mogami-san, can I take you out again?" he asked eagerly.

"Ah, um—"

"I promise this time will be better," he said with a smile.

"Um, Tsuruga-san?" Kyouko asked.

"Yes?"

"Why do you want to take me out? I mean, you really don't have to make up for last time. It's wasn't really that bad. It's not like I would really know the difference between a good date and a bad date anyway, and I'm sure you have better things to do with your time. Plus, you could be going out beautiful models or actresses, someone who suits you…"

Ren sighed. He didn't know where to start.

"Mogami-san, even if it wasn't as a make up for last time, I would still want to take you out again. I want you to enjoy yourself. I want to spend time with you. There is nothing better I could be doing with my time, and no one more beautiful I could be spending it with."

Kyouko furrowed her brows confusedly. "Tsuruga-san, do you need to get your eye's checked?"

"I have 20/20 vision," he said.

"But I'm not—"

"You are beautiful," he said. "You're the only one who thinks you're not."

Kyouko stared down at her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"So, can I take you on a date?" he asked.

Kyouko nodded.

"I'll call you then," he said with a smile.

"Ok," she said, exiting the car.

"Good night, Mogami-san," he said.

"Good night, Tsuruga-san," she said, bowing and then running into the restaurant.

* * *

><p>"Ren, you're slipping," Yashiro said.<p>

Ren cleared his throat and wiped the grin off his face.

"Not that I really mind," Yashiro said. "It's normal for a man in love to be smiling with that gooey eyed expression all the time."

"Yashiro," Ren said in a warning tone.

"Oh, everyone already knows you're in love anyway," the manager said. "Well, everyone except Kyouko-chan."

Ren looked away.

"Ren?" Yashiro said.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Ren, does Kyouko-chan know?"

"Know what?" he asked.

"Ren," Yashiro said, turning in his seat. "Does Kyouko-chan know that you're in love with her? Did you confess? Did she accept? Are you dating for real? We have to hold a press conference immediately!"

"Yashiro, calm down," Ren said.

"Why? This is huge news!" Yashiro said. "What did she look like when you confessed? Did she run into your arms?"

Into his arms was the last place Kyouko would have run after he confessed, but Yashiro didn't need to know that.

"Yashiro," Ren said firmly.

His manager stopped talking.

"I did not say that any of that was true," Ren said.

"But you never do," Yashiro said. "You still haven't even told me you love Kyouko-chan. The closest you ever come to telling me anything is not denying it when I ask you."

Ren sighed.

"We have to get to the set," he said, pulling into a parking spot.

"Ren, how much is true?" Yashiro asked. "Does she know? She at least knows your feelings now, right? Ren, are you going out?"

Ren grinned, rolled his eyes at his manager and exited the car.

"Ren, you can't keep me in the dark! Not after all the support I've given you two!" Yashiro wailed, trailing after his charge.

Ren ignored him and entered the studio.

"Ah, good morning, Tsuruga-kun," the director called. He looked around and spotting only Yashiro, asked, "No Kyouko-san today?"

"She wasn't needed for filming today, was she?" Ren asked, confused.

"No, she wasn't," the director confirmed, "Never mind. Let's get started, shall we?"

Ren nodded and went to get changed. Normally, he may have been annoyed at all the insinuations about him and Kyouko, but today, he was in too good a mood to care.

**AN: I had to work to get myself in a good mood to write this... The last few chapters have been a little angsty, and I have not been helping matters by listing to breakup songs on a continuous loop for the past several days. Hope I managed to make this sufficiently ****positive.** **Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	23. Chapter 23 Fad

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

They said love was blind, right? That was the only explanation Kyouko could come up with for Ren telling her she was beautiful. Sure, Kanae had told her not to think of herself as plain, Kijima and other male cast and crew from _Dark Moon_ had told her she was gorgeous at the closing party, but that was all due to the skills of professional makeup artists. She had been called sexy as Natsu, but that was due to the magic of Princess Rosa. On her own, she was just Kyouko, which was why she didn't understand the fuss the media was making.

She scrutinized her face in the mirror in her LoveMe room locker. It had to be a trend. She was a new fad. People would often buy bags, clothes, shoes and other accessories that their favorite celebrities used. This had to be something like that. It was because everyone thought she was Tsuruga Ren's girlfriend, and they liked what he liked.

* * *

><p>She had been confused this morning when everyone she passed in the halls of LME seemed to congratulate her. She had blushed, wondering if somehow it had gotten out that Ren had asked her out a second time, but she soon gave the thought up, realizing that everyone already thought they were dating. Maybe after the second date, those sorts of congratulations would be in order. Would that then be considered dating? She shook the thought out of her head and continued down the hall toward Sawara-san's office, bowing and nodding her thanks to the mysterious subject of congratulations along the way.<p>

Kyouko knocked on the door before entering his office. When he looked up and saw her, he smiled and offered his own congratulations.

"Um, thank you, Sawara-san," Kyouko said, "but I'm a little confused. What am I being congratulated for?"

"Ah, well, I suppose maybe you wouldn't be as excited about it as some," he said, sobering a bit.

Kyouko frowned. "Excited about what?"

"Mogami-san, I know you're in the LoveMe section for a reason, and it may seem very trivial to you, but putting that aside, this could be a huge steppingstone for you. Many popular actresses who have flourishing careers never even placed in these polls."

"What polls?" Kyouko asked.

"Ah, so you just didn't see it yet?" he asked, brightening up again.

"See what?" she asked, growing ever more confused.

Sawara-san reached into his desk and pulled out a magazine. He flipped it open to a page that had been marked and passed it to Kyouko.

"A diet ad?" Kyouko asked.

"Not that," he said, pointing to the page opposite, "_that_."

Kyouko stared at the page before her. Somehow the diet add made more sense.

"Has there been some sort of mistake?" Kyouko asked.

"Eh? No, aren't you excited? You placed really well," he said. "You're third in the nation."

Kyouko stared, there had to be some sort of mistake. She was listed as third on a poll of the actress you'd like to date.

"But where's Mou— um Kotonami-san?" she asked, staring at the list. She wasn't number one or two, and Kanae was definitely more beautiful than Kyouko.

"Ah, um, Kotonami-san wasn't in the top ten, so she's not in the magazine," Sawara-san explained.

"Eh? But how can I be on the list of Mouko-san isn't? She's definitely prettier," Kyouko said, beginning to tear up.

"Um, I'm sure she'll place much higher on the next poll," he said, offering her a smile.

"Really?" she asked.

"Um, yes. Kotonami-san is very talented. I'm sure she'll be much more well known soon."

Kyouko cheered up a bit. The poll still seemed defective to her. If she was on it and Kanae wasn't, there had to be something wrong with their data gathering methods. Not that she should be third on a nationwide popularity poll anyway. Back in middle school, she never would have thought of placing on any popularity poll, unless everyone was on the list somewhere and she was last.

Sawara-san had given her the copy of the magazine along with her updated scripts, so she went to the LoveMe room to read them over, and to try to make sense of the poll.

* * *

><p>"Yes, definitely a fad," she said, staring at her reflection. She didn't see anything about herself that would lead to such great popularity. She was like those little dogs people carried around in purses just because a celebrity did it.<p>

"What's a fad?" Kanae asked, walking into the room.

"Mouko-san! You scared me," Kyouko said, running towards her.

Kanae stopped her with a well placed palm to the forehead.

"What's a fad?" she repeated.

"Um, me," Kyouko said, handing the magazine to her best friend.

Kanae shrugged. "Well, who knows how long it'll last. People are fickle. Just be sure you don't waste this opportunity."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"'Eh' what?" Kanae asked. "Use this as a chance to get more roles."

"Oh, yeah," Kyouko said. Sawara-san had mentioned this opening up new opportunities for her, but she couldn't get over the shock.

"What is it?" Kanae asked.

"Um, well, aren't you surprised?" Kyouko asked.

"Not especially," Kanae answered.

"But, Mouko-san, you're definitely way more beautiful than me, and you're such a talented actress, and an amazing person and—"

"Your point?" Kanae asked.

"Um, shouldn't you be ahead of me?" Kyouko asked.

"No," Kanae said.

"But you're so much pre—"

"It's not just about whose prettiest. I mean, you wouldn't get on this poll if you weren't pretty, but— Mou! Read the article!"

Kyouko stared at the page and back up to Kanae.

"Look at what they're saying about you," she clarified, pointing to a series of blurbs next to Kyouko's picture.

Kyouko again looked at the article. She blushed as she read over some of the reasons people had picked her as someone they'd like to date. Men said that she was 'cute,' seemed 'approachable,' looked like 'someone you'd want to take care of,' and seemed like 'she would fit in your arms well.'

"Does any of that sound like me?" Kanae asked with a smirk.

Kyouko shook her head. Indeed, none of it sounded applicable to Kanae. Though, she never would have thought about applying those terms to herself either. She shuddered.

Did Ren think those sorts of things about her? He really didn't need to worry about the 'approachable' thing, since he could get anyone. He did take care of her a lot. She had always thought he was simply being an attentive sempai. As for fitting well in his arms… Well, that was what had started this whole things in the first place.

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. Maybe one day I'll actually catch up with my responses... If not, know that I appreciate hearing from you even when I'm too busy to respond :D**


	24. Chapter 24 Doing It Right: Step 1

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren took a deep breath to steady his nerves before he picked up the phone. He was going to do it right this time, and under no circumstances, would he get angry and ruin the date. She had given him a chance, even after he'd let his feelings for her slip. That had to count for something, right? It was reasonable to have hope, wasn't it? Either way, he wasn't giving up. If the hope was false, he'd make it true. If there was none, he'd create it.

He picked up his phone and dialed her number.

"Hello," she finally answered.

"Hello, Mogami-san," Ren said.

"Ah, Tsuruga-san, good evening," she said, sounding a bit distracted.

"Are you busy?" he asked.

"Ah, no. I was just reading over some new offers for roles," she said.

He could hear her shuffling papers in the background.

"Anything interesting?" he asked.

"Yes…" she said.

"You don't sound very excited though," he said. "They're not all bully roles again, are they?"

"No. Actually, none of them are bully roles," she said, hesitatingly.

"Then is there some sort of problem?" he asked.

"Ah, well, um…"

"Yes?" he prompted gently.

"Um, Tsuruga-san, you didn't see that poll thing today, did you?" she asked.

He could picture her blushing.

"Never mind," she said. "You probably don't read those sorts of things."

"Are you talking about the 'Actress You'd Like To Date' poll?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Um, yes," she said. She sounded more like she was asking a question than giving an answer.

"Yashiro showed it to me," Ren said.

He recalled the maniacal smile on his manager's face as he had pointed out the poll.

"Kyouko-chan's gaining popularity. You'd better act quickly, or she'll be snatched away," Yashiro had warned.

Ren had silenced him with a rather frightening glare. He didn't begrudge Kyouko any of her blooming popularity, but it did put him in a difficult position. It was a delicate balance between acting too slowly and letting her be 'snatched away', and acting too quickly and having her run away on her own.

Ren, again heard the shuffling of papers over the phone.

"Mogami-san, is something about the poll upsetting you?"

"Ah, well, it's probably stupid, and Mouko-san told me before that I should use things like this as an opportunity, but I don't know. It just feels like I'm cheating somehow," she said.

Ren let out a little laugh.

"I knew it. It's stupid, right?" she asked.

"Well, not for the reason you're thinking," he said.

"Eh?"

"Mogami-san, you think you're getting more offers and more opportunities because of this poll, right?" he asked.

"Um, yes," she said.

"Did you think about why you placed so high on the poll?"

"Um, because people think I'm dating you?" she said.

Ren sighed. He felt a bit of a twinge at the word 'think.' He'd actually called to ask her on their second date, and going on multiple dates could be considered dating. If a reporter now asked if they were dating, they couldn't honestly deny it. That point seemed to go over her head. He would have to work on that later. For now, he focused on the bigger issue.

"Mogami-san, it's true that all the media exposure about us may has put you into the spotlight a lot recently, maybe more and maybe sooner than you would otherwise have been in it, but that doesn't mean you placed so high because people think we're dating," he explained.

"It doesn't?" she asked.

"No," he said. "It doesn't. Think about it this way. Do you think most people would want to date someone who already has a boyfriend?"

"Eh? No, but isn't the poll just a fantasy? It's not like everyone who voted can actually date someone from the list," she said.

"That's true," Ren said, "but people still tend to vote for single actresses more than taken ones. You may have taken number one if it wasn't for me."

"Eh? No way! That's impossible! I would never ever get first pl—"

"Mogami-san, if I had told you yesterday that you would place third in this poll today, would you have believed me?"

Kyouko was silent.

"You are an amazingly talented and beautiful woman," he said. "_That's_ why you placed so high on the poll, and that's why you're getting more offers for roles."

"Eh? But how could that be true? I haven't even officially debuted, I'm not that well known, and suddenly I'm in magazines and getting more job offers than I can accept," she said.

Ren chuckled. "You don't check your official LME fan page very often, do you?"

"I have an official fan page?" she asked.

"You and Yashiro will have to talk sometime. I think he has scrapbooks on the progress of your career," Ren said.

He would just have to keep an eye on his manager to make sure he didn't bring out the deluxe 'Progress of Ren and Kyouko's Relationship' edition scrapbook, at least not until after he and Kyouko had safely returned from their honeymoon, but it would be good for Kyouko to see that she had actually been building a fan base for some time.

"Yashiro-san has time to scrapbook?" Kyouko asked. "Isn't he busy going with you to every job?"

"What do you think the 'paperwork' he's always running off to do is?" Ren asked.

Kyouko giggled.

The sound of her laughter relaxed Ren and steeled his motivation.

"Actually, Mogami-san," Ren said, "I didn't call just to chat."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kyouko said. "Here you had something to say and I've been bothering you with my silly problems!"

"Not at all. I enjoy listening to your 'silly problems,'" Ren said teasingly. "And just as soon as I ask you my question, you can go back to telling me all about them all night if you like."

"I—I wouldn't make you listen to me all night," Kyouko said.

"Well, part of the night, then," he teased.

"You had a question?" Kyouko said huffily.

"Ah, yes, my question," he said, changing to a serious tone, "Mogami-san, are you free in the evening the day after tomorrow?"

"I think so," she said.

Ren heard the shuffling of papers again. Kyouko must be checking her schedule.

"Um, I'm free," she said.

"Then can I have a little of your time?" he asked.

"Um, yes," she said.

"I'll pick you up at six then?" he asked.

"Alright," she agreed.

"Then it's a date," he said.

There was a moment of silence on the line and Ren was worried that she would change her mind.

"Um, Tsuruga-san?"she finally asked.

"Yes?"

"Um, does this— um…"

"Yes?" he prompted again.

"Never mind. I'll see you then. Good bye." Kyouko said in a single breath, and hung up the phone before he had a chance to find out what she was hesitating about.

Ren was a little worried. If she'd stayed on the line, he would have gotten her to tell him what was worrying her, but he supposed that could wait for their date. Then, if she was nervous or insecure, he would calm her. He would never give her room to doubt his sincerity, even if it took a lifetime. Though, he hoped most of their lifetime together would be spent on pleasanter pursuits than worry.

"You're getting ahead of yourself," he told himself. "Patience."

He plugged in his phone to charge and got into bed. He was going to sleep early. Tomorrow's schedule would be murder. He had more filming for _Selling_, several modeling shoots and a script reading for a new movie. He would leave his apartment at 6:00am, and likely not return until 11:00pm or later, but the grueling schedule, and Yashiro's knowing grin as he rearranged appointments, was worth it. Then next evening was for him and Kyouko.

**AN:Wow! Sorry for all they typos last chapter and thank you to those who mentioned them. I think I got rid of them all. My brain and homophones evidently do not get along when I am sleep deprived ;) Let's hope this chapter is better. Thanks to all who read, review, subscribe etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	25. Chapter 25 Doing It Right: Step 2

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

He was nervous, happy, excited, terrified and reveling in the moment. There was a tiny voice in the back of his mind reminding him that if he screwed up again, it could all be over, but he told the voice to shut up, called on his determination to get him through this.

He walked into the main entrance of the Darumaya at ten 'til six. Usually he would go to the side door, so as not to cause an uproar amongst the customers, pick up Kyouko, and be gone before anyone noticed that Japan's most popular actor had been in their midst. It wasn't that he wanted to make a show of taking Kyouko out, but he wanted to let the couple she was staying with see that he was serious. Maybe if they realized that, it would somehow be get into Kyouko's head.

The Okami-san greeted him with a surprised smile as he entered the restaurant.

"Good evening," he greeted. "I'm here to pick up Mogami-san."

"Ah, I'll let her know you're here," she said with a grin.

She and Ren both turned to the counter at the sound of a meat cleaver heavily falling on a cut of beef.

"You can have a seat at the counter while you wait," she said, smiling sympathetically.

Ren nodded and took a seat as the Okami-san headed upstairs to get Kyouko. A few customers began whispering. One began to rise from her seat, but stopped as the meat cleaver again slammed down over a piece of beef.

"Good evening," Ren greeted.

The Taisho grunted.

It had been a while since Ren had done the whole, meeting parents thing. Technically, this couple wasn't Kyouko's parents, but they obviously cared for her, and were protective of her, at least if the force with which the Taisho was chopping the meat was any indication. This was more intimidating than he remembered.

"Um, your restaurant has a nice atmosphere," Ren offered.

The Taisho glanced up and went back to cutting meat. Ren kicked himself. It would have been better to make that sort of comment to the Okami-san. He should have complimented the food to the Taisho, but he hadn't tasted it, so that wouldn't make sense. Ren sighed.

The Taisho finished chopping up his cut of meat and moved it into a bowl, then placed another piece on the cutting board. He made another cut before looking up and locking eyes with Ren.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Ren asked.

The Taisho made another loud cut without looking away.

"She said you weren't dating, so what is this?" he asked.

"Ah, well we weren't," Ren said, "but that's something I'd like to change."

"Does _she_ know that?" he asked.

"I've told her," Ren said. "Now I have to show her."

The Taisho grunted again and went back to cutting.

"Just make sure you don't keep her out too late," he said.

"Yes, sir," Ren said.

He didn't know if he'd gained this man's approval, but at least he'd tried to get his intentions across.

"Kyouko will be down in a moment," The Okami-san said, reappearing at the base of the stairs.

"Thank you," Ren said.

The Okami-san smiled at Ren, then she glanced over to where her husband was standing and let out a little laugh.

"Dear, you've cut too much meat. We're going to have to make beef curry or gyūdon the special tonight," she said.

The man grunted, took his abundance of chopped meat and retreated into the kitchen.

Chopping meat really was a very effective intimidation tactic. Ren decided that he would have to learn to cook if he and Kyouko ever had a daughter.

The girl in question emerged a few moments later, rousing Ren from his family fantasies and orienting his mind dangerously close to fantasies of another kind. She always took his breath away, and tonight was no exception.

"Good evening, Tsuruga-san," Kyouko said, cheeks slightly flushed. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all, Mogami-san," he said, letting the happiness he was feeling spill into his expression. "You are absolutely worth the wait."

"Um, shall we go?" Kyouko asked.

"Certainly," Ren said.

"Have a good time," the Okami-san called, smiling at the couple as they walked toward the front door.

The Taisho reemerged from the kitchen just long enough to give Ren a long hard stare as they were stepping out the door.

Ren respected and appreciated the man's protectiveness over Kyouko, but he was still relieved to get out of the restaurant. He had a feeling that the man would not let up on his intimidation tactics until there was a ring on Kyouko's finger. Ren enjoyed that thought immensely, but felt it would be a long time coming. He had to get her to fall for him first.

'One step at a time,' he reminded himself.

"Um, I hope I'm dressed alright," Kyouko said, breaking him from his thoughts. "I didn't know where we were going, so…"

"What you're wearing is perfect," Ren said. "You look beautiful."

He smiled. It was nice not having to hide those thoughts. He enjoyed the blush that suffused over her face as a result.

"Um, so where _are_ we going?" Kyouko asked as they reached his car.

He waited until they got in and he'd started the engine to reply.

"It's a surprise," he said.

Kyouko pouted.

"You didn't pick something insanely expensive, did you?"

"No," Ren said with a laugh. "I wouldn't call it _insanely_ expensive."

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyouko scolded. "That's a waste of money!"

"I was only joking," he said. "It's really not that bad."

"I don't trust you," Kyouko said, pouting cutely.

"Would I trick you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said with no hesitation.

Ren laughed.

"Don't think about the price," Ren said. "I'll feel like a failure if you don't enjoy yourself."

"Eh? No, I'm sure it will be lovely, it's just that…"

"Yes?" he prompted.

"You don't have to make such an effort for me," Kyouko said.

Ren glanced over at Kyouko. She was nervously looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, and staring at her folded hands by turns. She truly didn't think she was worth the effort, and that both broke Ren's heart and enraged him.

"If I don't make an effort for the girl who's most important to me, who am I going to make an effort for?" he asked.

Kyouko turned away from him, toward the car window, but when they passed under a streetlight, he caught her reflection in the glass and thought he saw tears in her eyes.

"Mogami-san, are you alright?" he asked. He signaled and pulled the car to the side of the road.

"Ah, no, I'm perfectly fine!" she said, waving her hands. "You don't have to stop. It's alright."

Ren, turned toward her in his seat.

"Mogami-san, you're not fine," he said, slowly reaching up and gently wiping away a tear that was clinging to her lashes. "What's wrong?"

"No, really, there's nothing wrong," she said, blushing and turning away. "It's just that…no one has ever said anything like that to me before."

Ren smiled. He would have to be sure to tell her that a lot from now on.

"Good," he said. "I'm glad you're not upset."

"But I am," Kyouko said. "You really should stop being such a playboy, Tsuruga-san."

Ren was utterly dismayed. He had been entirely serious. He was trying to do things right, show her his real feelings and intentions, and she had interpreted it as casual flirting. He thought his heart might stop, until he looked down to see Kyouko's joking expression.

Ren breathed a sigh of relief and pulled back onto the road. This girl would be the death of him.

**AN:Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D  
><strong>


	26. Chapter 26 Doing It Right: Step 3

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

It seemed they had both relaxed a little by the time they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant Ren had chosen. Kyouko's joke had nearly given him a heart attack, but in the end, it had taken some of the tension out of the atmosphere. Her attempt at humor had shown him that she was aware of her past obliviousness and, at least to some degree, accepted the idea that he was serious about her.

"This is it," Ren said, turning off the engine.

"It looks nice," Kyouko said.

It was too dark to really tell anything from the outside, but Ren hoped she would like it. He got out and moved around to her side of the car to open the door for her.

"Ah, thank you," she said, blushing, as Ren offered her his arm.

He smiled when she took the proffered limb, and they walked toward the restaurant. Kyouko looked up at him, confused when he started to head to the side of the building.

"We're pretty recognizable," he explained. "They're expecting us."

"Oh," she said.

Ren smiled at her acceptance. She probably wasn't thinking about the dual inclusion of his sentence. She seemed to always find it natural for him to have to wear a disguise or use a side entrance to avoid being mobbed by fans, but when it came to herself, she was always surprised when she was recognized. That was all going to change very soon. It had already begun to.

He knocked on the side entrance of the restaurant, and they were immediately greeted by a waiter, who did not faint, scream or request an autograph. All good signs.

"Ah, Tsuruga-sama, thank you for choosing us today," the waiter said. "If you'll follow me, your room is ready."

Kyouko looked at Ren with a question in her eyes.

"We have a private dining room reserved," he whispered as they followed the waiter. "I didn't think you'd be happy if I reserved the entire restaurant."

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyouko scolded in a harsh whisper.

Ren only grinned. This time, he didn't want staring customers or intrusive waiters horning in on their time together. He had been sorely tempted to reserve the entire restaurant for the night, but he knew Kyouko's frugal heart would revolt at the thought. He would have to get her used to being spoiled before he could attempt such a thing. Maybe for their anniversary…

The waiter led them down the hall, opened a door to their private room, showed them to their seats, furnished them with menus, and promised to return after giving them time to decide on their orders.

Ren watched Kyouko's face as she took in the room. Her eyes lit up and a dreamy smile appeared on her face as looked around her. The room looked like the dining room of a palace. The walls, tapestries and linens were a rich red, the furniture mahogany, the flatware and chandelier gold. The low light from the chandelier cast a warm glow over the entire room, making it feel surprisingly intimate, despite its spaciousness.

"What do you think?" Ren asked.

"It's beautiful! It looks like somewhere a princess and all her courtiers would dine," she said, still absorbed in the décor.

"Good," he said, smiling. It seemed he couldn't keep the smile off his face tonight. This was just the reaction he'd been hoping for. "I thought you might like it."

Kyouko sobered. "But, Tsuruga-san, this must have been really expensive! Surely there's something you could spend your money on for yourself."

Ren pouted. "Am I not allowed to spend my money on the things I like?"

"Eh? But, you're spending it on m—" Kyouko froze as she realized the import of her own words.

"Exactly," he said, with a wicked smile.

"Tsuruga-san," she said, glancing around and whispering low, "I think Cain wore off on you."

"Why would you say that?" he asked, matching her conspiratorial tone and leaning closer to her.

"Because he tried to spend all his money on Setsu instead of himself too," she said with a pout.

"Mogami-san, when you create your roles, don't you use some of your own experiences or your own feelings in the role to make it more believable?" he asked.

"Um, yes," she answered, half question, half answer.

Ren just smiled and Kyouko's eyes shot open wide.

"Then— then what about—" she floundered, face rivaling the color of the room.

The waiter knocked and peered into the room, only to immediately withdraw. Judging by the girl's face, they had not been discussing appetizers.

Ren barely registered the waiter's entrance and departure. He was more concerned about Kyouko. He shouldn't have mentioned his own feelings overlapping with Cain's, not when he had pulled her into bed with him. He could have just majorly blown it…again.

"Mogami-san," Ren tried.

Kyouko wouldn't look at him. The little he saw of her expression was hard and hurt.

"Mogami-san, I'm truly sorry, I never meant to—"

"Was it real?" Kyouko asked, finally looking up at him.

"I'm sorry?" he asked.

"Was it real?" she repeated. "Were you really fighting something?"

Ren swallowed.

"At that time, I was seriously worried about you, Tsuruga-san. I thought something was really wrong. I felt like— like you needed me, but I didn't know what to do. I even tried calling The President," she said.

Ren tensed up.

"I—I really wanted to help you, so if you were just—" her voice broke and she harshly dashed a tear from her eyes.

Ren let out a sigh of relief. It was a misunderstanding. He could clear this up.

"It was real," he said firmly. "I _did_ need you."

She looked at him hard, studied his face, and her expression softened. She believed him.

"I would never use you like that," he said. "Never."

He stared into her eyes, trying to infuse his gaze with sincerity. He couldn't tell her everything just yet, but he had to make her understand somehow.

Kyouko wiped the few remaining tears from her eyes before letting out a breath and giving him a glare.

"You scared me!" she scolded. "I didn't think you would be like— but I—"

Ren took a deep breath. He was taking a serious chance, but so was Kyouko. She had evidently put more of her heart on the line than even she was aware of. He would not let it break again.

"Mogami-san, there are things that I can't tell you yet, that I can't tell anyone," he said, taking another deep breath before going on, "so I can't really promise not to lie to you, and I know it's unfair to ask you to trust me, but when it comes to you and me—"

"I know," Kyouko said.

Ren was shaking. He desperately needed her to understand, but didn't know how to explain.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but if you give me a chance—"

"Tsuruga-san, I know," she said, taking his hand.

He looked at her with shocked eyes, and she began to pull her hand away, as if she'd done something wrong by making contact, but he chased after it, and held it in place with both of his.

"You know?" he asked.

She blushed.

"Well, I don't really _know_, but I've thought for a while now that there was something troubling you."

Ren smiled. This girl really could read him like a book.

"I wanted to help you, but I didn't know if there was anything I could do and you didn't seem to want to talk about it, so I tried asking the president, but he said not to do anything at all, so I don't really know if I ended up being helpful or not," she said, with a little pout.

"You were," he said, squeezing her hand. "You have no idea how much."

Kyouko blushed again.

Ren reveled in the feeling of her hand within his, the view of her sitting across the table, the sense of peace brought to his heart just by having her near. He took in as much as he could before taking a chance at losing it all.

"Mogami-san, I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't yet," he said. "So, if you can't trust me, if you don't want to see me again outside of work, tell me now and I'll un—"

"Stop!" Kyouko nearly shouted. Her face looked panic-stricken. When he looked up, she blushed at her outburst. "I'm sorry, I mean…"

"Mogami-san?" he asked.

"You shouldn't talk like that," she said, her eyes again brimming with tears.

"Like what?" he asked.

"I would never say that," Kyouko said, "that I don't want to see you outside of work."

Ren gave a glowing smile. The weight that had been sitting heavily on his heart for nearly seven years seemed to get a little bit lighter.

"Does that mean you'll give me a chance?" he asked.

Kyouko nodded.

"I know you're not like _him_," she said. "I trust you, Tsuruga-san."

Ren had to resist the urge to pull her into his arms and never let go. Luckily, the reappearance of the waiter gave Ren the opportunity to reign in his desires, though they did have to send that man away for a third time. They had been much too busy to spare a glance for the menus.

**AN: Look, look! I'm not being horribly evil anymore! ;) Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and Happy Thanksgiving! :D I'm thankful for all of you reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	27. Chapter 27 Doing It Right: Step 4

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Tsuruga-san," a very red Kyouko asked, "are you ever going to actually look at your menu?"

"Hmm? Oh, right," he said, glancing back down, but not really processing the words before him. His eyes involuntarily moved back to the girl he loved, sitting just across the table from him. True, she was mostly obscured from view by the wall of text she was holding between them, but even the top third of her face visible above the menu was enough to keep his eyes wandering back.

She had just promised to give him a chance, despite knowing that he was keeping a secret from her. She had told him she trusted him, told him he was different from Shou. That last sentence alone would have been enough to keep him walking on air for a year, so add to that the fact that she was here with him now, blushing, adorably conscious of him, and no wonder he couldn't focus on food.

"Tsuruga-san," complained, catching him staring again.

He grinned as she colored.

"We're going to be here all night if you don't actually decide what you want," she scolded.

Ren didn't really mind the sound of that, but the memory of the Taisho and his sharp cooking implements flashed through his mind. He'd promised not to have Kyouko home too late, and the waiter had already come and gone three times. He wanted Kyouko to be able to actually enjoy her food without rushing.

"Why don't you decide for me," he said, "you care about what I eat a lot more than I do."

Kyouko glared.

"Then how about the 24oz steak," she offered, eyes dead serious.

Ren swallowed.

"Perhaps I should take a look after all," he said, finally reading his menu.

Kyouko smiled in satisfaction.

When the waiter returned, they were actually ready. They placed their orders. The waiter took their menus, and with a courteous smile, exited the room, leaving them alone again.

"Um, this restaurant is really beautiful," Kyouko said, looking everywhere except at Ren.

"I'm glad you like it," he said.

"Though you really shouldn't have spent so much," she said. "Someplace like last time would have been fine."

"I didn't want any witnesses in case I messed up again," he said with a laugh.

"Eh? But I told you it really wasn't your fault," Kyouko said, brows furrowed. "I should have been more clear."

"And I told you I shouldn't have lost my temper," Ren said.

Kyouko huffed.

"Let's call a truce," Ren said. "It wasn't anybody's fault. It was just one of those disastrous first dates."

"I wouldn't call it disastrous," Kyouko said. "though I haven't really dated before, so…"

"Well, it's a good thing it happened then," Ren said.

Kyouko looked confused.

"Everyone needs a good awful first date story to tell, and since I intent to make sure you never have such a horrible date again, it's a good thing we got it out of the way," he said.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyouko said, blushing bright red and averting her eyes. "I— I know you l—like me, but even so, you should be more careful with what you say."

"Oh? Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"Um, that— that sounded like, um—"

"Like I'm claiming all of your dates from now on?" he asked.

Kyouko nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said. "That was poor word choice."

Kyouko looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"I should have said, 'Mogami-san, I intend to claim all of your dates from now on.' That is, if you'll let me," he said with a smile.

Kyouko stayed frozen, but changed color.

Ren panicked a little. Perhaps he'd gotten overly confident after all the things she'd said. She'd promised to give him a chance, but she was still Kyouko after all. Maybe he was moving too fast. He was about to retract, to tell her she didn't have to answer him, when she spoke.

"Um, does— does that mean we're d—dating now?" She asked.

Ren was about to reply, when the waiter knocked and stepped into the room with their food. He set it on the table before them, asked if there was anything else he could get them before leaving and finally left the room.

Ren had promised himself not to lose his temper on this date, and he appreciated the all the waiter's previous discretion, but his gentlemanly smile was at full wattage when the man left. He could not think of a worse time for him to have interrupted.

When the waiter was gone and Ren turned back to Kyouko, he was greeted with an expression on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I was too presumptuous. I shouldn't have—"

"Wait, Mogami-san, stop," Ren said. "What's wrong?"

"Um, aren't you angry?" she asked. "I shouldn't have asked that. I didn't mean to—"

"Stop, stop, stop," he told her, reaching across the table and wiping a tear rimmed eye. "I am absolutely not mad at you. I'm sorry I scared you. I was annoyed that we got interrupted when we did."

"Really?" Kyouko asked.

"Yes," he said. "Though, since I keep scaring you, I'm worried that you might not answer me favorably, what I wanted to say was that it does mean we're dating, at least, if you're willing."

"Oh," she said, looking down at her food.

Ren felt very much like he had just been transported back to the first grade and was passing a note, 'Will you be my girlfriend? Check yes or no,' to the girl he liked, but however juvenile it felt, he wanted to make things clear. He didn't want to leave any room for doubt in Kyouko's head.

"Mogami-san, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks, despite himself.

"Um, are you sure?" she asked, eyeing him closely.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you sure you want someone like me to be your girlfriend?" she asked.

Ren sighed. If he wasn't so in love with this girl, he would be ready to throttle her. As it was, all he could do was laugh and hope that his constant reassurance would one day do the trick.

"Yes, Mogami-san," he said, "I'm sure."

"Um, alright, then," she said, still not making eye contact.

If Ren thought couldn't stop smiling before, it was nothing compared to this. It seemed Kyouko had to scold him to get him to eat each individual bite of his dinner, and the conversation was a bit awkward with Kyouko blushing and refusing to meet his eye for the rest of the evening, but it was still the single best date in Ren's memory.

With all the interruptions, they didn't finish dinner until rather late, so after they had eaten, Ren drove Kyouko home and walked her to the door.

Good night, Mogami-san," he said, trying to communicate all that he was feeling in just those few words. He desperately wanted to kiss her goodnight, but he didn't want to push her too far too fast. Besides, the light was still on in the kitchen, and he wanted to live to see her again.

"Good night, Tsuruga-san," Kyouko said.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he promised.

She nodded and slipped through the door and into the Darumaya.

Ren smiled as he walked back toward his car. Tonight had been a good night.

**AN: Aaaaaahhhhh! It's not that I'm evil, I'm just not good at writing things this sweet and fluffy! I think I need to go purge now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter so that my cavities and esophageal damage is worth it ;) Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D  
><strong>


	28. Chapter 28 Stalled?

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

President Takarada stared out his window at the encampment of paparazzi. They looked like ants swarming around a piece of food someone had dropped, only if you looked closer, you would see that they were people, and what they were waiting for was gossip. They had had a field day when Fuwa Shou had turned up at LME and accosted Kyouko. That incident had fed the tabloids with photos and stories for quite some time, but nothing had happened recently. They kept re-using all the old photos of Ren and Kyouko together. They had been arriving at LME separately, and departing separately, so there was nothing there, and Fuwa Shou had either retreated with his tail between his legs, or was being kept on a very short leash by his agency. Either way, there was nothing to report except the same old rumors, and nothing to show but the same old pictures.

The president stared at the stack of tabloids sitting on his desk. He would have thought that something would have changed by now, but Ren was stubborn and Kyouko was his number one LoveMe girl after all. He would check with his informants and review some footage before taking any drastic measures, but if things didn't change soon, he would have to consider his options.

* * *

><p>Kyouko was getting used to wading through hordes of paparazzi on her way to and From LME each day. Thankfully, they hadn't found out where she was living, though she didn't think she'd have to worry very much as long as the Taisho was around.<p>

She giggled, remembering his reaction when she'd gotten home the night before.

"Kyouko-chan, did you have a good time?" the Okami-san had asked, then as Kyouko had stepped into the light, she notice, "You're eyes are red! Are you alright?"

"Eh? They are?" she'd asked, turning to look in the reflective surface of a hanging pan.

"He made you cry?" The Taisho asked, picking up a knife and parting the blinds to look outside.

Kyouko blushed. She really had cried rather a lot that evening. It was a bit embarrassing.

" I'm fine," she said, "I promise. I—I cried a little, but it wasn't his fault.

The Taisho had looked unconvinced, but he'd put down his knife and settled with uttering an ominous, "If he ever makes you cry…"

Kyouko passed the rest of the paparazzi with a smile on her face, trying to keep from laughing as she imagined what the Taisho would do if anyone tried to bother her. She'd already seen it a few times when a patron became a little too familiar with her. It was a sight to behold. She didn't envy anyone the other end of his glare.

When she reached the lobby of LME, she flinched as her phone began to vibrate. "Hello?" she answered, a little too loudly.

"Jeez, why are you so jumpy this morning?" the caller asked.

"Mouko-san!" Kyouko shouted despite the crowd in the lobby.

"Tone it down," Kanae said. "You're going to break my eardrum."

"I'm sorry, Mouko-san," Kyouko said, much more quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Mou! It's fine, just speak normally and stop apologizing," Kanae said. "I have better things to do than listen to you apologize. Make your words count."

"I'm so— I mean, yes," Kyouko said.

"That's better," Kanae said, "Now what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Yesterday, your message," Kanae reminded her.

"Message?" she asked.

"'Mouko-san, what do I do? I think I just did something really reckless. What if I ruin everything? What if I'm getting too full of myself for thinking that I could possibly' and that's where it cut off," Kanae said, reporting Kyouko's message with perfect accuracy.

"Oh, that?" she asked.

"Yes, that," Kanae said. "You always seem to leave these cryptic messages, and then I can't get a hold of you. If you're going to leave a message, be clear, or at least keep your phone on."

"I'm sorry, Mouko-san," I thought you were busy, so I turned my phone off when I went to bed."

"Fine, whatever," Kanae said. "So what was it about anyway?"

"Um, actually, I'd rather not discuss it over the phone," Kyouko said. "Do you have any free time today?"

Kanae sighed. "I have an hour between jobs."

"So can we meet?" Kyouko asked.

"Fine, but you'll have to come to me," Kanae said. "I don't have time to go back to LME."

"That's fine," Kyouko said. "It's still swarming with paparazzi anyway."

"I wonder why The President doesn't just ban them from setting foot on LME property," Kanae said.

"I don't know," Kyouko said.

"I have an idea," Kanae mumbled.

"What was that?" Kyouko asked.

"Nothing," Kanae said. "I'll give you the address of my shoot. It ends at 2:00. Don't be late."

Kyouko took down the address and promised to meet Kanae after her shoot was finished.

When she hung up with Kanae, she went to talk with Sawara-san. She was narrowing down the roles she had been offered. There was more variety than she'd ever been offered before, and she'd even received many offers to play protagonist roles, but as much as she wanted to expand her horizons, she couldn't take them all. If she did, she'd be even busier than Ren, and she still couldn't understand how he managed to survive such a schedule, let alone attempt it herself.

Kyouko still had time to decide on the next projects she would accept, so she only refused a few that she knew would have definite scheduling conflicts with other jobs, and roles that seemed entirely uninteresting. She then left to mull over the rest of the scripts until she had to leave for her meeting with Kanae.

* * *

><p>President Takarada followed the movements of his number one LoveMe on the security monitor before him. He watched her leave Takenori Sawara's office, walk down the hall, and turn a corner before he put through his call.<p>

"Sawara speaking," the man answered.

"Sawara-kun, good morning," the president greeted.

"Ah, good morning, President Takarada," he said. "How may I help you?"

"The scripts," President Takarada said, "can you send me the ones she rejected? I want to see if there's been any change."

"I'll have them sent to you right away, sir," he said.

A few minutes later, the scripts were fanned out on the president's desk in front of him.

"Good," he said, smiling, "We may have some hope yet."

**AN: Sorry this chapter is short and sort of a filler. It will have significance later. On another note, several people have been asking about the way Ren and Kyouko address each other. I promise I have been thinking about it, and I will try and address the matter soon. If you'd like an in depth explanation of my reasoning, ask me in a review or pm. I'll try not to make my explanation a lecture on in-group/out-group dynamics ;) As always, Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D **


	29. Chapter 29 To tell, or not to tell?

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kanae saw Kyouko arrive at the studio just as she was finishing up her last scene for the day. The girl stood there ramrod straight, at the back of the studio, waiting for the scene to end. One of the crew approached Kyouko and said something, to which the girl bowed and waved them off. When the scene was finished and approved by the director, Kanae walked toward her friend, who lit up as soon as she began to approach.

"Hi, Mouko-san," she greeted in a still enthusiastic, but much more subdued manner than usual.

Kanae thought her warnings about never speaking to Kyouko again if she pounced on her in public must have actually gotten through to her.

"So what's up?" Kanae immediately asked.

Kyouko glanced around nervously. "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?"

Kanae rolled her eyes, but grabbed the girl by the arm and lead her to her dressing room.

"Ok, we're alone, so what is it?" Kanae asked again, once they were safely locked in her dressing room.

"Um, well yesterday," she began. "I, um…"

"Yes?" Kanae asked.

"Well, actually, I—"

Kyouko's phone rang, causing her to start. She looked at the screen on her phone and hesitated.

"Oh, just answer it," Kanae said. She could tell Kyouko wanted to, and it wasn't like she'd said anything important yet anyway.

Kyouko smiled sheepishly and picked up her phone.

"Hello," she said. The girl blushed as she heard the voice on the other line. There was only one person it could be.

"Fine," she answered with a glance at Kanae. "I'm actually with Mou— um, Kotonami-san right now."

There was silence in the room as the caller spoke again.

"Um, alright," she said. "And make sure to eat all your meals properly."

Yes, it was definitely him.

"You too," she said. "Good bye."

She hung up the phone and put it back in her bag.

"Sorry, Mouko-san," she said.

"This top secret conversation have anything to do with the man who just called you?" Kanae asked.

"Eh? How did you—"

"Never mind. What happened?" Kanae asked.

"Ah, well, um, he, um, asked me out again," she said.

"And?" Kanae asked.

She wasn't serious coming to ask whether she should go out with him again, was she, not when she reacted to him the way she always did?

"So, um, yesterday, we went out again," she said.

"So, did something happen?" Kanae asked. Kyouko's message had been dramatic, as usual, but it hadn't had that end of the world tone like the messages she'd left before her first date with Ren, nor the phone call afterwards. She seemed nervous, but not unhappy.

"Um, sort of," Kyouko said. "Actually, I um…I agreed to…"

"Kyouko, what is it?"Kanae asked in exasperation. This girl made things into a much bigger deal than they had to be. It was probably something inconsequential.

"I agreed to be his girlfriend," Kyouko said, eyes squeezed shut, as if waiting for the world to cave in on her if she said it out loud.

Ok, so it wasn't inconsequential.

"On purpose?" Kanae asked.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Kyouko asked.

"Never mind," Kanae said. As long as Ren hadn't tricked Kyouko into it, it was fine. She wouldn't particularly enjoy being left with Chiori in the LoveMe section while Kyouko debuted, but at least she wouldn't be the only one left, and she would just have to double her efforts to escape the pink curse herself. "So when are you announcing it?"

"Eh? Do I have to do that?" Kyouko asked, blanching.

Kane rolled her eyes. "Why wouldn't you? Everyone already thinks you're dating, and The President is just going to keep scheming until you two are official."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Why do you think he didn't hold a press conference or release a statement as soon as this whole things started?" Kanae asked. "Most agencies don't want their celebrities romantically linked with anyone. They deny it even when it's true."

"Then why didn't he—"

"Are you forgetting who our President is?" Kanae asked. "If that man wasn't so obsessed with love, our department wouldn't even exist."

"I don't really mind if the president knows," Kyouko said hesitantly, "but I don't know if I can handle telling the world. I mean, we just had our second date yesterday. What if…what if it doesn't work out?"

Kyouko wasn't coming out and saying it, but Kanae could tell what she meant by 'doesn't work out.' Kyouko meant, 'what if he gets tired of me?' From what Kanae had seen, Ren had been in love with her friend for a long time. He had been subjected to a lot of Kyouko's obliviousness and unintentional cruelty. If he hadn't gotten tired of her after all that, he wasn't going to get tired of her after she'd actually accepted him.

"Well, it's up to you two," Kanae said, "but I'd at least let The President know, before he makes you do something weird."

"Um, I'll talk to Tsuruga-san about it," she said.

"Good," Kanae said. "Now, I'd better start getting ready to leave. Are you walking with me to my next job?"

"Can I?" Kyouko asked excitedly.

"You can help me carry my things," Kanae said.

Really, she just enjoyed having Kyouko with her along the way, but something like that was too sappy to say.

She changed back into her normal clothes and left the studio accompanied by her best friend, carrying a script that would have fit quite comfortably in her bag.

"Hey, Kyouko," Kanae said, before parting ways with Kyouko at the next studio. "Be sure to visit the LoveMe section every once in a while."

"Eh? But I'm still—" Kyouko said to Kanae's retreating from.

Kanae rolled her eyes. Yes, she was still a LoveMe member today, but there was no guarantee she would be tomorrow.

* * *

><p>"Director Yamaguchi," President Takarada greeted as the man came on the line.<p>

"Ah, President Takarada, a pleasure as always," he said. "I must thank you for sending Kyouko-san to me. Filming with those two is always something to behold."

"Yes, well they're both quite dedicated to their craft," The President said.

"You were right about their chemistry too," he said with a chuckle.

The President smiled. "About that, have you given any thought to the changes I suggested? I know adding yet another character this far into the drama might throw things off a little, but I feel you could make much more use of their chemistry."

"Actually, I was thinking just thinking about contacting you in regard to the changes when you called," he said. "From the data we've been collecting, it looks like viewers want to see the relationship develop further, so…"

"Excellent," President Takara said. "I can send you some suggestions for actors who would do well in the part too."

"I would appreciate that," the Director said.

"Well, I'll have them sent over right away," He said.

"I'll be looking forward to it," he replied.

The president smiled as he hung up the phone. He shuffled through the actors resumes once again. They all had several things in common. They were all talented new actors who deserved a break into the business, they were all young and handsome, and they had all listed Kyouko as their favorite actress. This ought to start the ball rolling.

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)Tomorrow I have class, lunch with a friend, a photo shoot and a school project, so it's going to be _very_ busy. I will try to get a head start on tomorrow's chapter** **tonight****, but just be forewarned if it doesn't happen. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	30. Chapter 30 To Tell

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Good afternoon," he said, smile lighting his face. "How are you today?"

There was only one person who could bring out such an expression on Ren's face. Yashiro inched along the wall, trying to get closer to hear what his charged was saying.

"Ah, I'll call you after I finish for the day then," he said. "Lunch break is almost over anyway, but I wanted to call you."

Yashiro peered between the branches of a ficus and listened intently.

"I will," he said. "Have a good day."

He inched closer, trying to here more.

"Good bye," he said.

Too late.

"Can I help you with something?" Ren asked, without turning around.

Yashiro glanced around the area to see who Ren could be talking to.

"You don't make a very convincing potted plant, Yashiro," Ren said.

"Ah, um, you're needed back on set in fifteen minutes," he said clearing his throat and rising from behind the potted plant.

Ren only shook his head and laughed. Yashiro had been caught eavesdropping and survived. He knew it was best to quit while he was ahead, but he couldn't help pushing his luck.

"So how was Kyouko-chan?" Yashiro asked.

"She was fine," he said. "She was with Kotonami-san."

Yashiro blinked.

"Ren, are you alright? You don't have a fever, do you?" Yashiro asked.

"Um, no," Ren said, "Why?"

"You just answered a question pertaining to Kyouko-chan straightforwardly," Yashiro said in amazement. Something had definitely happened between those two.

Ren rolled his eyes.

"So, Yashiro said, raising his eyebrows, "how did the date go?"

"I'm needed on set, right? I'd better go get my hair and makeup touched up before the break ends," he said.

"Ren," Yashiro said, following close behind. "What happened, Ren? Did you confess? Did she say yes? Are you dating? Tell me!"

Ren just smiled. That man was infuriating!

Yashiro stuck close to Ren all day, as his managerial duties called for, but he was unable to gather what exactly had happened. That something had changed between the Ren and Kyouko, he had no doubt of, but whether it was a major change or merely insignificant progress, he could not tell. He wouldn't find out until he saw Ren and Kyouko together. Luckily, they would both be filming _Selling_ together tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Ren had his phone in his hand and his finger over the speed dial button before he'd even closed the door to his apartment. The brief phone call with Kyouko at the end of his lunch break had not been enough. He wanted to hear her voice, confirm that he wasn't dreaming.<p>

"Hello," she answered on the second ring.

He smiled. "Good evening."

"Ah, Tsuruga-san, good evening," she said.

"How was your day?" he asked. "Did you have a good time with Kotonami-san?"

"Ah, um, yes, well, we only saw each other for a little while," she said. "I um, wanted to talk to her about, um, last night. I hope you don't mind. I completely forgot to ask about it, and I didn't tell anyone but Mouko-san, and she definitely wouldn't say anything to anyone. I'm sorry I didn't consult you first."

"Mogami-san," he said, "it's fine. You can tell anyone you want. I'm not trying to keep you a secret."

He would very much like to make an announcement to the world, let everyone know that Kyouko was taken, but he thought better of telling her that just yet.

"Um, but what about the media?" she asked.

"They thought we were dating long ago," he said. "Isn't it fine to confirm it?"

"Um, but, what if…" Kyouko said, letting the sentence die.

"What if what, Mogami-san?" he asked. He spoke as calmly and evenly as possible, but he was struggling to fight the tight grip anxiety had suddenly placed on his heart.

"Um, nothing. Never mind," she said.

"Mogami-san," he said, taking a calming breath. "Are you having second thoughts about us?"

The millisecond it took Kyouko to answer seemed to stretch out in front of him for years.

"No!" she denied.

He could breathe again.

"Well, I still don't really get what you see in me," she said, causing him to sigh, "but it's not like I want to take back what happened. I meant what I said yesterday."

Ren thanked God before asking, "Then what's the problem?"

"Well, I um, it's just that, I— I don't know how to deal with the media. They'll be sure to ask even more invasive questions if we admit it, and I don't know what to say. The President is very thorough in most areas, but I don't think preparing people for media exposure is one of them," she said.

Ren stifled a laugh.

"Why do you think he wouldn't prepare you?" Ren asked.

"Well, because when this all started, all he gave me was a little pink book with statements like 'no comment' and 'I am not in a relationship at this time' in it," she said.

Ren smiled. The President hadn't been trying very hard to squelch the rumors. In fact, if Ren's gut feeling was correct, he had even been fanning the flames. If he'd taught Kyouko how to shut down the paparazzi, it would have been counterproductive to his goal. Normally, Ren would have been irritated by the interference, but he couldn't exactly argue with the results.

"That was before we were really in a relationship," Ren said. "Things will be different now."

"How?" she asked.

Well, for one thing, after President Takarada had cried tears of joy until he was dehydrated, he would probably throw a lavish party, start preparing for Kyouko's graduation from LoveMe and her debut, then release a statement confirming the relationship and hold a press conference, after properly preparing Kyouko to deal with the situation, of course.

"He'll teach you how to deal with it before making any big announcements," Ren assured her.

"But—"

"Are you embarrassed to be dating me?" he asked.

"Eh? No, of course not!" she said. "If anyone should be embarrassed it—"

"Then there's no problem," he said. "Let's tell The President tomorrow."

"Eh? Um, alright," she said.

She still sounded hesitant. Ren wanted to announce it as soon as possible. He wanted the world to know that they were together, but he didn't want to back her into a corner. He had spent years trying to win her heart. He didn't want to damage it now that it was in his care. He wouldn't rush her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. "For what?"

"I'm rushing you, aren't I?" he asked. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready."

"I—it's not that, I just keep thinking, what if—"

Her voice broke.

"Mogami-san," he asked, "what is it? Are you alright? I'm leaving right now, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"No, no, no," Kyouko said, "stay home. I'm fine."

"Tell me what's wrong and we'll see," he said.

"When you're so concerned like that, it makes me feel really stupid for thinking this way," she said with a laugh.

"For thinking what way?" he asked.

"I just— I keep thinking you'll wake up and realize what a bad decision you've made, and then if we've made some big show of it, you'll be stuck with me."

"Good," he said.

"Eh?"

"I'm glad I'm making you feel stupid," he said, "because that will absolutely never happen."

He heard a sniff over the phone and began to reach for his keys.

"Ah, I feel like an idiot," she said with a laugh.

Ren paused halfway to the door.

"Ok," she said. "Let's tell The President tomorrow."

**AN:**** Ok, school project one third complete, final next week, other things rescheduled until winter break. All that's left is class and work. Hopefully I can keep this up :)** **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	31. Chapter 31 Telling

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko nervously made her way past the paparazzi. It was very early, but there were still quite a few camped out in front of the building. This would be that last time that she passed without confirming her relationship with Ren. She took a deep breath and stepped into the lobby, eyes sweeping the near empty room for the tall frame of her boyfriend. She blushed just thinking the word, and blushed brighter when their eyes met.

She walked across the room to meet him in front of the elevators.

"Ready?" he asked with a smile.

If she said she wasn't, could she run away?

"Yes," she said, shaking the nervous thoughts from her head. She could trust him. She could do this.

"Let's go then," he said, pressing the up button.

Ren smiled down at her. She returned the smile the best she could.

"It'll be fine," he said.

She nodded. Was her nervousness that obvious?

The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and they stepped in. They were alone. Ren pressed the button for the top floor and the elevator began its ascent.

Kyouko looked around the confined space. She could feel her heartbeat accelerating the further they climbed. There was no changing her mind now unless she pressed the emergency button and bolted. She had to remind herself that she did not want to do that. It would be fine.

She didn't realize how tightly she had been clasping her hands together until she felt Ren take them in his.

She looked up to meet his eyes.

"We don't have to do this, you know?" he said, crouching to look her directly in the eyes. "This elevator has a down button too."

His eyes expression was earnest and concerned. Why was she so afraid of this? If there was ever anyone she could trust not to hurt her, it was him.

"No, I'm just nervous," she said. "I can do this."

He scrutinized her face for a bit longer, as if trying to discern her true feelings. He must have believed her, because he smiled and straightened back to his full height, still retaining one of her hands.

"Go right in," the secretary said, as soon as they stepped off the elevator. "President Takarada is expecting you."

Ren squeezed Kyouko's hand as they opened the door and walked through.

"It's about time you came again," the President said, back to them. He swiveled around in his chair to reveal the perfect image of a 1920's American mobster. He started almost imperceptibly at the image scene before him. His lip twitched momentarily, before he regained his stone-faced image and asked, "So what is it this time?"

The President had always been a force to be reckoned with, but usually his constant spouting of the gospel of love and romance made him seem far less intimidating. Kyouko didn't know if he was really any different today or if she was just nervous about what they had come for, but either way, she felt like burrowing through the floor and disappearing. Luckily, Ren spoke.

"We came to inform you that we are now in a relationship," he said.

"What kind of relationship?" The President asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"We're dating," Ren said.

The President looked to Kyouko with questioning eyes. She managed a nod, and then President Takarada's entire air changed. His face exploded into the widest grin she could imagine, and suddenly, whether he had actually gone around or climbed over the desk, she would never figure out, he was embracing them both in a bear hug.

"I have been waiting for this day to come! I am so happy! This calls for a celebration," he picked up the phone on his desk, "Get my party planner on the line! Get the publicist! We need to make announcements! When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me immediately? Those idiots! They didn't tell me a thing!"

Kyouko was beginning to feel dizzy.

"President, can we slow down for a moment?" Ren said.

"Why slow down? There's so much that needs to be done! I need to call and talk to— well, that's too late, but oh well. If we make the announcement…" The President began to go off into a solitary rant, mumbling about plans and parties and phone calls and press agents.

Ren sighed.

Kyouko was completely bewildered.

"President Takarada!" Ren said, finally catching his attention. "If you will remember, this is all very new to Mogami-san. We would appreciate it if we could calmly sit down and discuss plans for making our relationship public."

"Fine," The President said reluctantly, "Sit, sit. We need to do this anyway."

They sat down, The President stopped rambling, and Kyouko could finally breath again.

"So," he said, leaning forward with hands clasped. "When did this all happen?"

He looked more like a school girl eager for gossip than a company president, or the mobster he was dressed as.

"Um," Kyouko floundered.

"Is that really necessary?" Ren asked.

The President pouted. "I'm just trying to ascertain relevant details that the press will want to know anyway."

Ren sighed.

"Um, we first went out last week," she said. "And then again yesterday."

Ren and President Takarada looked shocked, the latter pleasantly so. It wasn't like her to volunteer information of this sort, but a few short weeks ago, it wouldn't have been like her to have this sort of information to report. The President was right. The press would ask such questions, and worse. If she couldn't answer his questions, how would she answer the media?

President Takarada smiled, grinned evilly was more like it.

"Who confessed to whom?" he asked.

That, Kyouko couldn't answer. It felt like a secret that wasn't hers to tell.

"I confessed to Mogami-san," Ren said.

"Mogami-kun, is that correct?" The President asked.

"Eh? Of course it is," she said, coloring, "I mean, Tsuruga-san wouldn't lie, not that he'd obviously be the one to confess. That actually sounds kind of ridiculous. No one would think that Tsuruga-san would be the one to confess to someone like me. I still find it hard to believe and it happened to me. I don't really understand what he can possibly see in me, but—"

"Mogami-san, it's ok," Ren said. "That's enough."

The President was pouting again. She must have done something wrong.

"I can see we're going to need a lot of practice," The President said. "For now, we won't do any interviews. We'll just release a statement."

He looked straight at Kyouko. "So if you're questioned, just say 'no comment,' alright?"

She nodded.

"Good," he said. "Now, go on, off with you two lovebirds. I've got a lot of phone calls to make. Looks like we'll have to postpone some things."

After they left the President's office and stepped back onto the, once again deserted elevator, Kyouko looked up at Ren.

"Um, Tsuruga-san, did I do something wrong?" she asked. "President Takarada seemed…disappointed."

"It's fine, Mogami-san. It's nothing a little practice can't fix," Ren said, smiling at her reassuringly.

Somehow, she still didn't feel all that reassured. He hadn't denied her question, so she must have done something wrong. What it was, she couldn't tell. She would have to try and figure it out later.

**AN: I promise not to make every chapter title a different conjugation of the verb 'tell.' This is the last one...for now. This is sort of another filler chapter, but again, there are important things hidden within the chapter. That makes is sound cooler and more mysterious than it actually is... Anyway, Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I always appreciate hearing from you, so if you'd like to tell me what you think, feel free to leave me a review :D**


	32. Chapter 32 Too Late

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

When Ren and Kyouko arrived on the set, the director was speaking animatedly with a person they had never seen before.

"I'm sure everyone else will be glad to have you one board too," he said. "Ah, here are Tsuruga-kun and Kyouko-san now."

He motioned for them to come over.

"Good morning, Director Yamaguchi," they both greeted in turn.

"Good morning," he said. "I'm glad you're here. I have some really exciting news. This is Shirota Ryou-kun, and starting today, he will be joining our cast."

The young man smiled brightly.

"Shirota-kun, this is Tsuruga Ren, and Kyouko," the Director said.

Each gave a slight bow as they were named.

The young man glanced back and forth between Ren and Kyouko, but his glances at the latter seemed more prolonged.

"I'm really looking forward to working with you, it's like a dream of mine," he said, wide smile in place.

"It's nice to meet you," Kyouko said.

"Yes," Ren said, stepping slightly in front of Kyouko and giving a smile most people would see as merely polite. "It will be nice to have such an eager addition to the cast."

"Now that introductions are over, let's get started," The director said. "For today's scenes, Shirota-kun's not going to have any lines, so there will only be slight adjustments to the script."

He handed amended copies to Ren and Kyouko and pointed out the areas where slight changes had been added.

"The audience is just eating up the chemistry between your characters," Director Yamaguchi said, "So, we thought it would be good to capitalize on that. So, we're going to add a little competition."

Ren knew it the phrase was only meant in reference to the role, but it still went against the grain. It didn't help that Ryou kept staring at Kyouko with a goofy smile on his face.

"That's where Shirota-kun's character comes in," the director said. His grew even more exited as he began to explain the role. "The gang of drug dealers want to keep an eye on Rika without scaring her and sending her off to Tasuke, so they send their new member, Andou Hajime to do the job by dating her. Rika smells something fishy, but she plays dumb to try and get information and to see Tasuke's reaction. Then Hajime starts to actually fall for Rika. This is really going to get the audience hooked!"

Ryou was smiling and nodding along with the director as he gave his enthusiastic summary. Ren couldn't help but think that the young man looked like a puppy with his tongue hanging out and tail wagging. He would have admired the young man's enthusiasm if he thought it was purely for acting, and not for Kyouko.

"So, shall we get started?" the director asked.

Everyone went to get into costume and makeup before reassembling on set. Yashiro arrived in the mean time. Ren had arranged to meet him at the studio rather than picking him up in the morning. He hadn't wanted to be teased mercilessly, especially not with Kyouko present, on the way to tell the president about their relationship.

The first scenes to be shot once they were all back on set where a few scenes of Rika back in the classroom chatting with her friends. Most of those scenes did not have dialogue. They would be inserted in short segments into the drama to show that Rika was readjusting to school. One of the scenes showed Rika's friends questioning her about the incident which had caused her to miss school. She brushed off the incident as having been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The changes to these scenes were minimal. The major difference was that Andou Hajime was in the background of each scene, staring at Rika with a smile. Rika would catch him looking at her and give him a small smile in return, but when she turned away, the audience would see suspicion in her expression.

"Wow," he's really good," Yashiro commented, then laughed, "either that or gazing adoringly at Kyouko-chan comes naturally for him."

That was what Ren was afraid of.

"Well, I don't need to worry about it," Ren said, standing up in preparation to start a scene, "since we're dating now."

Ren then walked away, leaving Yashiro opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. He would probably regret having told Yashiro later, but for now, that would quiet his teasing, and since he had a scene to film, he couldn't be bothered with questions.

They shot several brief clips of Tasuke picking Rika up in the morning. Since her uniform stayed the same, they made slight variations to her hair and accessories for each clip, while Tasuke changed ties, shirts and jackets. Most of these scenes were also without dialogue and showed Rika and Tasuke looking irritated at one another, but one did contain speech.

"You really don't have to pick me up _every_ morning," Rika complained, slinging her school bag over her shoulder. "I'm not an infant, I can walk. I can even ride my bike, without training wheels."

"I'm not saying you're an infant, Rika," Tasuke said. "I'm just saying it's not safe. You never know what could happen or what those people could be plotting. Remember to tell me if anything suspicious happens."

"Yes, mother," Rika said, moving to the doorway and slipping on her shoes.

"I'm not your mother," he said, with sudden vehemence.

"Right, I forgot. You're my parole officer," she said sarcastically, "Though last time I checked, I wasn't the one who had committed a crime."

Tasuke sighed exasperatedly and followed Rika out the door.

The next few scenes would be clips of Tasuke dropping Rika off at school and picking her up from it. For those though, they would have to move outside to shoot.

The last scenes were affected by the addition of Andou Hajime much in the same way the first few of Kyouko in the classroom had been. Tasuke would drop Rika off in front of her school and notice the constant presence of the young man staring at her. In the last drop-off clip they shot, Hajime would approach Rika before they headed into the school building together. The camera would then cut back to Tasuke, sitting in his car, white knuckle grip on the steering wheel, looking very irritated.

The director called everyone over after the final scene to express his satisfaction with the day's work, and to tell them about the revised scenes they would be working on during the next shoot.

When they were dismissed, Ryou took the opportunity to express his own feelings again.

"I can't tell you how excited and honored I am to be working with you," he said, again mostly addressing Kyouko.

The girl blushed under his overenthusiastic praise and humbly thanked him.

"Yes, it was a pleasure working with you today," Ren said, placing an arm around Kyouko's shoulders, "Unfortunately, we have other jobs to get to, so we can't stay, but _we_ look forward to working with you again on the next shoot."

The young man's eyes widened at the public display of affection, Kyouko blushed, and Yashiro grinned evilly.

Ren was not going to enjoy the interrogation he would get after dropping Kyouko off at her next job.

**AN: I nearly had a heart attack! My keyboard started spazzing out on me while I was ****writing this chapter.** **Good thing it decided to behave, or I wouldn't have finished D: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	33. Chapter 33 Practice

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Don't worry," Ren said, giving Kyouko a reassuring smile. "Tomorrow will be fine. Just relax and be honest."

"I'll try," Kyouko said, giving a weak smile in return.

She had thought that talking with the president this morning had been nerve-racking, so when she and Ren had each received a message from President Takarada, telling them to meet up with an interview "specialist," the following morning, she had become even more nervous.

"It'll be fine," Ren said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner the media will calm down and find another couple to bother."

Kyouko nodded, but she wasn't so sure about that. Ren was the number one actor in Japan. Could a story about him really be forgotten in the wake of the next big thing?

"Relax, go get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning," he said.

"Alright," she said. "Good night, Tsuruga-san."

"Good night," he said.

He waited for her to get inside and then drove away.

The next morning, as promised, Ren was there to pick her up. They drove to LME and headed to the conference room specified in The President's message. When they arrived, they were greeted by an attractive middle aged woman in business attire.

"Ah, Tsuruga-san, Mogami-san, welcome," she said with a warm smile. "Please come have a seat. I'm Toda Chiaki. I'll be helping you do some practice for interviews."

Ren and Kyouko also introduced themselves and took a seat.

"We'll be recording the interviews for reference," Chiaki said, turning on a video camera. "Shall we begin?"

The two assented and Chiaki sat across down in a chair across from the couch they were sitting on, somewhat mimicking a talk show format.

"There's been a lot of talk about you two recently," she began. "It's always difficult to know what it true and what is merely a rumor, but your agency has recently released a statement confirming your relationship. It was silent on the matter for quite some time. Could you explain?"

"We weren't dating at the time the rumors started," Ren said. "That is a recent development."

"Really?" she asked. "That's rather shocking considering the picture that started all the rumors. You two look quite close."

"That was a misunderstanding," Kyouko said, blushing and trying not to shout denials. She couldn't go into her usual long rant about a relationship between the two of them being ridiculous, as they were now in a relationship. They hadn't been at the time, but as she looked at the copy of the picture Chiaki was presenting them with, she began to understand why people absolutely wouldn't believe their denials. "I, um, I just hadn't slept very much the night before, so on the way back from the shoot, I just sort of, um, fell asleep."

Chiaki gave an amused smile. "Yes, well, that does explain you sleeping, but it doesn't exactly explain the position in which you are doing it."

Kyouko began to flounder.

"Don't you ever moved around in your sleep, Toda-san?" Ren asked. "I don't know about Kyouko-san, but I tend to move around in my sleep, and if you add the movement of the bus to that, it's almost a wonder we didn't end up in a worse position, like falling into the aisle."

Ren gave his gentlemanly smile, but Chiaki just smiled back. She had been so kind when they came in. She had made Kyouko feel calm and relaxed. Now she could see that when it came to doing her job, this woman was relentless. Kyouko admired that, and though it made her nervous, she appreciated it. This would equip her to deal with the real media, the ones who were equally relentless and far less good natured.

"It's quite the timing that this photo should be released so shortly before you announce that you're dating without it being related," she said.

"I didn't say it wasn't related," Ren said, smiling. "I would be lying if I said that my feelings for Kyouko-san didn't affect my actions , but it would also be lying to say that we were more than friends at the time."

Kyouko was beet red. Once she'd opened her eyes and allowed herself to believe that Ren truly did love her, however strange that may be, she had realized that he had cared about her for some time, at least since he'd told Bo about her.

"What about you, Kyouko-san?" Chiaki asked. "Would you say your actions at that time were affected by your feelings for Tsuruga-san?"

Kyouko took a deep breath and smiled.

"I didn't think so at the time, but obviously, if you don't trust someone, you won't sleep with them," Kyouko turned bright red. "_On_ them! Um, in front of them. You won't let your guard down and sleep near someone you don't trust, so those feelings of security and trust obviously played into…those events."

Chiaki let out a giggle.

"Relax, Kyouko-san. This is why we're practicing," she said.

Kyouko nodded and tried to get her rising color under control. Ren reaching over and intertwining his fingers with hers didn't help.

"Shall we take a little break?" Chiaki asked.

"Um, no I'm fine, please go on," Kyouko said.

"Well then, Kyouko san, when was it you began dating," Chiaki asked.

Kyouko felt the tension in Ren's hand. He must be thinking about their first date.

"Last week was the first time we went out as more than fiends," Kyouko said with a grin. She really didn't mind the horrible first date. Without Ren having to apologize and accidentally confessing, they might have gone out for a year or more without making things clear.

"You're smiling," Chiaki observed, "So I take it your first date together went well?"

"It was a valuable learning experience," Kyouko said.

Chiaki laughed. "That sounds very…educational."

"Isn't that sort of what dating is about?" Kyouko asked. "Educating yourself about the other person, and them educating themselves about you?"

"I suppose you're right," she said.

"Even if you already know someone, dating them is completely different from just being a kohai or a friend, so you still have to get to know them in a different way," Kyouko said.

Ren smiled at her answer.

"Very well put. Relationships can cross many categories like that. In fact, there is a rumor that you have had such a crossover in categories with Fuwa Shou whose music video you participated in," she said, smiled still in place.

Kyouko stiffened for a moment before finally letting out a sigh.

"I honestly don't know what to say to that, Toda-san," Kyouko said, breaking the interview format. "Yes, I participated in his music video, and I was his childhood friend, but I've never been romantically involved with him, and I'd rather concentrate on the future than the past."

Chiaki jotted something down on the notepad that had been sitting on her lap throughout the interview.

"Well then, why don't we move on for now?" Chiaki said.

Kyouko nodded. She didn't want to bring Shou into her relationship with Ren. The two were completely different.

Ren squeezed her hand and leaned toward Kyouko as Chiaki flipped through her notes.

"For the record," he whispered. "I thought your answer was perfect."

**AN: I had to rewrite this D: Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	34. Chapter 34 More Practice

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Chiaki looked up from her notes and smiled at the two before her. She'd caught a glimpse of what President Takarada had been talking about, but so far things had gone fairly well. Kyouko would learn to be calmer during interviews, and then she would not make such disastrous slipups. It was true that the couple's demonstrativeness did not fit The President's taste, but rare indeed was the couple who did. And despite their subtlety, she could sense the affection between them. They were a new couple. They would grow more comfortable with one another over time. So far, she did not see any great matters for concern.

"Alright," she said, flipping to the next page of her notes. "Shall we get back to work?"

The couple agreed.

"Touching back on a previous question," she said. "You both said that your feelings contributed to you ending up asleep together, so you obviously had feelings for each other at that time, but when did you begin to have feelings for one another? Did love really bloom on set as we have been hearing?"

Kyouko blushed and Ren gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"That is a difficult question to answer," Ren said. "Feelings are never black and white, not there and then there, so it would be impossible to pinpoint the moment when my feelings changed from platonic to romantic."

"So it wasn't love at first sight then?" Chiaki asked.

Kyouko let out a little burst of laughter.

"Is something funny?" Chiaki asked, turning to Kyouko.

Kyouko had been bright red as she tried to contain her laughter, but when the interviewer questioned her, she paled, realizing she would have to explain. She couldn't explain. How was she supposed to say that when she joined show business, Ren hated her because of her motive, and that that motive had been to beat Shou? She had a lot of secrets.

"Um, just the idea that Tsuruga-san would fall in love at first sight with someone like me," she said, trying to cover.

Chiaki and Ren both frowned.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Well, because he's Tsuruga Ren, the number one actor in the country, and I'm so very ordinary," Kyouko said. They were her honest feelings, though they weren't the reason for her laughter.

Chiaki sighed and set her notebook down.

"Kyouko-san, please promise me you'll never say anything like that again," Chiaki said.

"Eh? Why?" she asked.

"Because if you call yourself ordinary, every girl in Japan is going to hate you," she said.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Kyouko-san, if _you_ are ordinary, think what that says about the average girl walking down the street. They'll think you're belittling them."

Kyouko began to protest.

"I can tell you don't mean it that way," Chiaki said with a smile. "You are a nice girl, so you wouldn't think that way about others, but you must realize that you are _the_ Kyouko, just as Tsuruga-san is _the_ Tsuruga Ren."

"Eh? But I can't be compared with Tsuruga-san," Kyouko said. "He's accomplished so much. I've only done a few things—"

"You can't say things like that either," Chiaki warned. "Humility is fine, but it must have its limits. If you put yourself down as a person, all the people who aren't as pretty or talented will feel worse, and if you put yourself down as an actress, all the people who have believed in you and given you roles will feel insulted."

"Eh? I would never do that," Kyouko said. "That's not what I mean at all. There are so many wonderful girls out there with different talents, I would never presume to say I was better just because I act, and I'm grateful for each and every role I've been given. They have all given me irreplaceable experiences that have helped me to grow as an actress. I have nothing but thanks for the people who have believed in me."

"Yes," Chiaki said, "and anyone who knows you will realize that, but in an interview, you are talking to strangers. Your interviewer will likely try to dig up all your dirt, and most of the people watching will only know you from your roles, so you have to be careful about the impression you give. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I'll try to think more about how my words could be perceived," Kyouko said. She had never thought about her humility that way. People had often told her she was too humble, but she never knew that she could be hurting people by speaking that way about herself.

Kanae had told her that it was an insult to believe Shou's cruel words over Kanae's supportive ones, but she hadn't realized that her entire outlook could be perceived as looking down on others. Now that she thought about it, she was horribly embarrassed.

"Good," Chiaki said. "I'm sure you'll do fine if you give it a little more thought and have a little more confidence."

Kyouko nodded.

Chiaki smiled and picked up her notebook again.

"Back to the questions. So we know it wasn't love at first sight, and we know you can't give us the moment you fell in love, but surely you have some idea," Chiaki probed.

Ren sighed. "Since Dark Moon."

"Ah, since the ending party? Kyouko-san certainly looked lovely enough that night to cause anyone's feelings to turn romantic," Chiaki said with a smile.

"Yes, she did," he said, grinning sheepishly, "but actually, I meant before that. More like from the start of filming."

"Eh? So long?" Chiaki asked, losing her composure for a moment. "And you're only dating now? Kyouko-san, did you know?"

"N—no," Kyouko said. "Not at the time."

Chiaki recovered. "Kyouko-san, when did you realize you had feelings for Tsuruga-san?"

Kyouko laughed at herself.

"Not until very recently, actually," she said. "I had been so used to treating Tsuruga-san as my respected sempai that to imagine the possibility of any other kind of relationship seemed…impossible."

She hoped that was acceptable. It seemed talking about how unworthy she felt would upset people. An interview did not seem like the proper forum for voicing all her doubts anyway.

So was it Tsuruga-san who confessed then?" Chiaki asked.

Kyouko went red. Looking back, her behavior at his confession had been stupid. She didn't really want to tell the world that she ran away when the man she loved confessed to her. That was really the action of an idiot.

"Yes," Ren said. "I was the one to confess."

"Well, obviously it went well," Chiaki said, smiling.

Ren squeezed Kyouko's hand, looked into her eyes and smiled before turning back to Chiaki.

"The idea that I was in love with Kyouko, took her some getting used to," he said. "But I'm glad she did."

Even Chiaki blushed at the smile Ren was giving Kyouko. She took a moment to breathe and sympathized with the poor girl roasting under Ren's gaze. He wasn't Japan's number one heartthrob for nothing.

"Well, let's conclude here for today," Chiaki said. "I believe Yashiro-san will be contacting me to make further appointments for you both. It's been a good first round."

Ren and Kyouko both thanked her for her time, and she smiled as she watched them leave, still holding hands.

Well, now she knew what The President had been talking about. That girl had some definite self-esteem issues. As for Ren, he might be even worse in the President's eyes. It had taken him since the beginning of Dark Moon to finally confess!

Chiaki laughed to herself. They were definitely going to be interesting to work with.

**AN: Finally a chapter I wasn't half asleep while writing! I kind of blew my plan for the photo reveal last chapter, but that's the direction the characters were going, so who am I to stop them? ;)** **Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	35. Chapter 35 Discontent and Its Reason

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

As the star of _Selling_ Ren was in most of the scenes and was required for almost every session of filming. Though Kyouko's role had been greatly increased, there were still days when he was needed on set and she was not. It was rare however that it was the reverse. But, with the addition of Shirota Ryou's character came the addition of scenes between him and Kyouko, without Ren.

Ren had not seemed happy when he had found out. When he and Kyouko were handed their schedules by an assistant, he had glanced at Kyouko's and noted a day had been added to the schedule, a day that he had other work.

"Excuse me Director Yamaguchi," he'd said, hailing the man as he passed by, "I believe there is a mistake in next week's filming schedule."

"Ah, let me see," the director said, taking the piece of paper. "Where is it?"

"Here," Ren said. He pointed to the added day. "I have other work scheduled for that day, so…"

"Ah, well, I see the problem," the director said, grinning toward the girl at Ren's side. "You've got Kyouko-san's schedule. Don't worry. You're not needed that day after all. Let's get you the proper schedule."

"Oh, I must have switched them," Ren said.

Kyouko handed him the piece of paper and the director double checked.

"See, you're not scheduled after all, isn't that a relief?" he said. "Well, I'll see you next time then."

Ren and Kyouko both said goodbye to the director, and Ren began flipping through the newly amended script to take a look at the scenes that were being filmed on the day of his absence. They were mostly scenes between Hajime and Rika.

* * *

><p>"Tsuruga-san, are you sure you're alright?" Kyouko asked. He had seemed fine on the morning of the practice interview, even happier than usual, but after they left the set of <em>Selling<em> later that afternoon, he'd seemed upset, and she hadn't been able to find out why.

"I'm fine," he said, casting a fake smile her way.

"No you're not," she said, crossing her arms and pouting. "You only smile like that when you're lying."

"Would you rather I frown?" he asked, upping the wattage of his smile.

"Yes," she said.

Ren grinned in earnest now.

"You don't want me to smile?" he asked.

"Not if it's fake," she said.

"I'll be fine," he said.

"Ha! So you admit that you're not fine now!" she said.

"Of course not," he said, giving her a dangerous smile, "I'm about to say goodbye to you."

Kyouko shivered. It wasn't fair. He was doing it just so she would stop asking questions. He knew the emperor of the night made her uncomfortable.

"That's not why you've been upset since last week," she said, shaking off the feeling of his gaze. Thankfully, he had to keep his eyes on the road, or she might end up hypnotized by him.

"The idea of not seeing you always upsets me," he said. "So call me on your lunch break and when you're done with filming. I'll take you home tonight if you can wait until I'm done."

Kyouko sighed. He was still being evasive, but she knew she wasn't going to get it out of him, and they were nearing the studio, so she just agreed.

When they reached the studio, Ren parked and got out to walk with her.

"Tsuruga-san, will you be ok walking me in? Don't you have another job to get to?" she asked.

"I have plenty of time," he said. "I can at least walk my girlfriend inside."

Kyouko blushed.

A few fellow cast members walked by and grinned when they saw the two. Kyouko blushed harder.

"Remember to call me later," Ren said, briefly taking her hands in his.

Kyouko nodded.

"Have a good day," he said with a smile.

"You too, Tsuruga-san," she said.

"I'll see you later," he said, and left for his job.

Kyouko sighed. She didn't think she'd ever get used to this. She shook her head to clear her mind and went to get her hair and makeup done. Mogami Kyouko might be distracted at the moment, but Rika had one only one thing on her mind.

Rika sat in her classroom talking with her friends before the bell rang and signaled the start of the day. The boy who had been paying attention to her recently smiled as he passed her desk to get to his own.

"Hey, hey, Rika-chan, don't you think Andou-kun is interested in you?" asked her friend Emi.

"Yeah, he's totally been staring at you lately. Ah, don't look. He's looking this way right now!" squealed Yuko.

Rika rolled her eyes.

"He's interested in something," she said.

"Aw, Rika-chan, don't sound so pessimistic. Shouldn't you enjoy a fruitful happy love life instead of always chasing after—"

Rika clapped her hands over Emi's mouth.

"Don't," she said, casting a glance at Hajime. "Anyway, I'm not chasing him."

Hajime, who had been watching the exchange, smiled at Rika, and the scene ended.

They filmed a few scenes of basic interaction between Rika and Hajime, greetings, looks, short exchanges in the classroom, and next was the confession scene.

The classroom set was emptied of all the other actors besides Ryou and Kyouko.

Rika stood before the blackboard, erasing the day's writing. She heard the door open behind her, but did not turn around.

"Yamada, you're late, were you planning on making me do all of the clean—"

"I asked Yamada to switch cleaning duty with me," Hajime said.

"Oh," Rika said. She had been shocked for a moment, now her guard was up. "Well, either way, you're still late. You can stack the chairs."

Hajime began placing chairs on the desks, still staring at Rika.

"You know, Rika-chan, I've been wanting to talk to you," he said.

"Oh, is that right?" Rika asked, reaching for a high spot on the blackboard.

Hajime was behind her, taking the eraser from her had before she'd even realized he was there. Rika stepped away and he erased the upper part of the board.

"I asked Yamada to switch with me because I knew you were on duty," he said. "Actually, I've had my eye on you for a while. I like you, Rika-chan."

Rika felt queasy. Something wasn't right.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't return your feelings. I have someone I—"

"I know," he said. "It's that cop whose always giving you rides, right?"

Rika's eyes narrowed.

"I know you like him, but he's older, right? Doesn't he just see you as a younger sister?"

Rika turned away, grabbed the broom and began sweeping the classroom. He'd touched a nerve. This boy had to have been watching her pretty closely to have figured all of that out.

"We can start as friends," he said. "I know you like him now, but I'll work hard to make you forget him."

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"Because I want to be with you," he said. "It's ok even if you just need someone to complain to, so won't you go out with me?"

Then it clicked. He had been watching her. He knew about her relationship with Tasuke. He wanted her to talk to him about Tasuke.

"Fine," she said. "I'll go out with you."

Hajime smiled and the scene ended.

The director reviewed the footage, okayed the scene and they were done for the day.

"Good work, Shirota-san," Kyouko said.

"Good work, Kyouko-san," Ryou said. "But, um, I have a request."

"Yes?" Kyouko asked.

"Could you call me Ryou? I mean, I know it's a stage name, but it feels weird for you to be calling me 'Shirota-san' when I'm calling you 'Kyouko-san,' and besides, our ages aren't that far apart."

"Eh, but we just met," Kyouko said.

"Please?" he asked, squeezing his eyes shut, clapping his hands together and bowing, as if he was praying at a shrine.

Kyouko laughed.

"Um, I suppose I could, if you really want me to, Ryou-san," she said.

The young man gave her a wide smile. It seemed if you looked closely enough, you would see his tail wagging.

"Ah, I'm sorry, please excuse me," she said, picking up her phone. "Hello? Tsuruga-san?"

The boy drooped.

"Ah, yes. We just finished filming," she said. "Are you sure? Alright, just a moment."

She cupped her hand over the mouthpiece of her cell phone and turned to the young man before her.

"I'm sorry, Ryou-san, I have to go. Tsuruga-san is coming to pick me up," she said.

"Ah, alright," he said. "Well, see you next time."

"Yes, see you, Ryou-san," she said. She returned to her phone call. "Tsuruga-san, are you still there? Sorry about that. Yes, I'll see you then."

She hung up her phone and headed for her dressing room, blissfully unaware of the fate that awaited her.

**AN: I suck at chapter titles. I should have stuck to numbers, but I didn't so now I feel obligated to continue with actual titles, so please just ignore them...and me... Ahem! Can you guess what issues are coming up next? I'm finally going to tackle something I've been asked about, and have been trying to get to for several chapters. Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	36. Chapter 36 Discontent and Its Solutions

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Ren, are you alright?" Yashiro asked. "Was Kyouko-chan not done with filming yet?"

"No, she was done," Ren said, jaw tensing.

"So then why are you upset?" Yashiro asked.

"Why would I be upset?" Ren asked, flashing a brilliant smile.

"Ok, never mind," Yashiro said, putting his hands up in surrender. He knew better than to mess with Ren when he was in this sort of mood.

The two went to Ren's car, and actor dropped Yashiro off at LME before heading to the studio where Kyouko had just finished filming.

Ren had been worried that something would happen today. Ryou's crush on Kyouko had been pretty obvious from day one. It seemed the boy never stopped staring at Kyouko, but she was oblivious to his attentions as she had ever been to Ren's. Perhaps that should have relieved him, but it just made him worry about her defenselessness.

Ren sighed and hit the accelerator.

* * *

><p>"That was fast," Kyouko said, answering a knock at her dressing room door. When she opened it however, it was not Ren, but Ryou who stood before her. "Oh, Ryou-san, it's you. Sorry I thought it was—"<p>

"It's ok," the boy interrupted. "I um, I knew you had plans, but I was wondering if I could talk to you for a little bit before you left."

"Oh, um, sure," Kyouko said, "Juts let me get my things."

She popped back into the room, gathered her belongings and rejoined Ryou.

"I have to go when Tsuruga-san gets here, but if you want, we could sit and talk while I wait," she offered with a smile.

"That would be great," he said, answering her smile with a wide grin of his own.

They walked out to the studio lobby, Kyouko smiling and bidding goodbye to the cast mates she passed along the way. She noticed that some of them were giving her confused looks, but she shrugged it off and continued toward the lobby.

They found a couple of chairs and sat down.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Kyouko asked.

"Ah, um, well, first off, I just wanted to say how honored I am to be working with you. I mean, really. I've been following your career since you were in the Kyurara commercial. You're really amazing! You make all of your roles come alive! Just watching you—"

"Ryou-san, please, stop," Kyouko said, blushing bright red, "I'm really not as amazing as you're making me out to be."

"Eh? No way, you really are! It's like you completely become whatever role your portraying. It's been a dream of mine to get a chance to work opposite you, and now I really am," he said. "I only hope I'm not frustrating to work with."

"Eh? Why would you be?" Kyouko asked. Ryou was very professional. He was always on set on time and had his lines properly memorized. They would sometimes get a few NGs, but no more than when she worked with most other actors or actresses. Ren aside, of course, he could not be compared with anyone.

Ryou looked at Kyouko and a faint blush spread across his cheeks.

"Well," he said. "When I act with you, I— I get lost."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Well, it's like you pull me in. I get so absorbed by your performance, that I don't even know what I'm supposed to be saying or doing and just react," he said.

Kyouko blushed. She had just been given a high complement indeed.

"I know exactly how you feel, Ryou-san," Kyouko said.

The young man's expression shifted from one of utter bliss to fear and Kyouko looked over her shoulder to see what had cause the change.

"Are you ready to go?" Ren asked her, smile at its highest wattage.

Kyouko nodded silently, picked up her things and stood.

"See you next time, Ryou-san," Kyouko said.

Her anger sensor quivered as it sensed a spike in Ren's negative feelings. Kyouko was almost afraid to go with him when he was so upset, but she needed to know what was wrong.

"Um, Tsuruga-san," she began timidly, once they were alone in his car, "What's wrong?"

Ren took a deep calming breath before answering.

"Mogami-san," he said, almost spitting out her name, "What were you talking about with Shirota-san?"

"Acting," she said, almost as a question. Ren was making her nervous, and not in a heart thumping, blushing head over heels sort of way.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Ah, come to think of it, there seemed to be more than one thing Ryou-san wanted to discuss, but we never got to it," she said.

"Ryou-san?" he asked.

"Um, yes?" she said.

"Why Ryou-san?" he asked. "Weren't you calling him Shirota-san just last week?"

"Um, yes, but he asked me to call him that," she said.

"So you just did?" he asked. "No qualms about it?"

"Ah, well, I would have preferred to call him Shirota-san, but he said it felt weird to be calling me by my first name if I was calling him by his last name, and since our ages aren't that far apart…"

Ren sighed.

"Tsuruga-san?" she asked.

Ren wasn't looking at her. He leaned his head back against the headrest, eyes closed, trying to calm down. He had walked in to hear Kyouko, calling by name and enthusiastically sympathizing with the feelings of the young man who obviously had a crush on her. He had already been on edge, and it pushed him dangerously close to falling over.

He opened his eyes when he felt a small hand on his. He turned to find Kyouko looking at him in concern. He turned his hand over and pulled Kyouko's more securely into his grasp, using her touch to anchor his emotions.

"Why am I the only one who calls you by your last name?" he finally asked.

"Eh? Um, well, The President calls me by my last name too," she said.

"He's your boss," Ren said. "I'm your boyfriend."

"Um, I don't know," Kyouko said. "Why do you call me by my last name?"

"What?" Ren asked.

"Um, well, you were the one who first started calling me that," Kyouko said. "Before that, it was just 'you.'"

Ren's brow furrowed in confusion. Hadn't Kyouko always been the one who was so adamant about proper terms of address?

"I did?" he asked.

"Well, at first, you didn't call me by name at all, so when you started calling me 'Mogami-san,' I was happy," she said, blushing. "I thought maybe it meant you didn't hate me anymore. Well, I mean, I know you don't hate me now, but back then, I thought, well, you know."

"Didn't you tell me not to call you Kyouko?" he asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. "I never said that."

Ren searched his memories, and then it hit him. Kyouko had never prohibited Tsuruga Ren from calling her anything, but she had told Kuon to add a suffix to her name. Ren felt incredibly stupid.

"Then can I call you Kyouko?" he asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. Her face was bright red, but finally she glanced up at him through her lashes and gave a timid, "Ok."

Ren smiled. He had been wanting to call her 'Kyouko' for so long. He felt like a stranger, calling her 'Mogami-san,' when everyone else was calling her some variation of 'Kyouko.' Every time that arrogant musician called her name, it grated on him.

"Then, you can start calling me Ren too," he said.

Kyouko's face looked like it had just gone up in flames.

"Eh? I couldn't do that. It's impossible," she said.

"If I can call you Kyouko, you can call me Ren," he said. "And besides, we're dating now. It's not out of place."

"Eh? But, even if we're dating, you're still my sempai and older than me and—"

"So it's the age thing after all," he said, growing upset again. "You can call some guy you just met by his first name because he's only two years older, but you can't call your boyfriend, who you've known for years by name, because the age gap is four years."

"Eh? No, it's not the age gap. I mean, as someone older than me, of course that difference should be reflected in terms of address, but you're also my sempai, and um, I really respect you, so um, calling your first name without honorifics is a bit…"

"Kyouko," Ren said, calming down, "saying my name without honorifics doesn't mean you don't respect me. It just means we're close."

"But—"

"Do you think I don't respect you anymore just because I'm calling you Kyouko?"

"N—no," she said, blushing.

"Then try and say it," he said. "Please?"

Kyouko looked up at him with anxious eyes and blushing cheeks.

"Ren…san. Ah! I can't do it!" she said. "I'm sorry! I can't do it without the 'san.'"

Ren turned away.

"Tsu— um Ren-san," she said tentatively. "Are you angry?"

He took a deep breath and turned back toward her with a smile. Maybe it was better if she didn't call him without any honorific. When she called his name, he had some very strong urges that would not be appropriate to act on just yet.

"No, Kyouko, I'm not angry," he said. "'Ren-san' is fine."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Now let's go get some lunch."

He needed to get to a public location before he did something he would regret.

**AN: Ah! So many good updates to distract me today, but I was a good little girl and wrote my chapter first ;)** **Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D Now, off to read.**


	37. Chapter 37 The Calm Before the Storm

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Tsuru— Ren-san," Kyouko complained, bushing, "you don't have to say my name so much. It's embarrassing."

"I'm practicing," He said with a smile. He had been using it in practically every sentence he addressed to her. He liked the feel of it on his tongue, but what he liked more was the sound of his name coming from her mouth. "You should practice too. You keep starting to call me 'Tsuruga-san.'"

"Eat your food," Kyouko said. "You'll be late for your next job."

"I'll be fine. It's nearby," he said. "Now why don't you practice too, Kyouko?"

"I—it's embarrassing," Kyouko said. "I'll say it when I need to. Now, eat your food."

"I'll take a bite for every time you say it," he said with a smile.

Kyouko stared down at his barely touched plate.

"I'm not saying your name for every bite," she said, glaring.

Even her glares were cute.

"It's ok, Kyouko," he said, pushing his plate back. "I'm not very hungry. I don't think I could have eaten much more anyway."

"Eh? But you hardly touched your food!" she said.

Her loud exclamation drew the curious looks of passersby. Thankfully, due to the time constrains caused by spending such a large portion of their lunch breaks in conversation in Ren's car, they had opted to eat at LA Hearts, where the wait staff and clientele were both used to seeing celebrities. As such, the onlookers only looked, and went on their way.

Kyouko shrunk down into her seat, embarrassed at being noticed.

"Yes," he said. "It is a pity to waste food."

Kyouko straightened in her seat and quickly glanced back and forth before leaning across the table and whispering, "Ren-san."

Kyouko was back in her seat, sitting with her characteristic perfect posture, sipping her water, before Ren could even fully process what had happened.

"I'm sorry, Kyouko, I didn't catch that," he said.

Kyouko glared.

He took a bite.

"Eat your food," she said.

"I'm sorry, who are you talking to?" he asked, looking to his left, then to his right.

"I'm talking to you," she said.

"Who?" he asked.

"Tsu— Ren-san," Kyouko pouted, blushing bright red. "You know I'm talking to you. Now, eat your food."

Ren smiled widely and took another bite of his lunch. He couldn't remember a meal he had enjoyed more.

The Red Kyouko stared down at her plate.

Ren leaned across the table and touched Kyouko's hand.

She looked up.

"I'm sorry, Kyouko," he said. "I didn't mean to tease you so much."

"Yes you did," Kyouko said. "Ren-san, you're mean!"

"I'm sorry," he said, lightly rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "I'll eat now, so will you forgive me, Kyouko?"

"I'll forgive you if you finish your lunch," Kyouko said.

Ren smiled, relinquished her hand and went back to eating.

The lunch was over all too soon for Ren's taste. Kyouko had forgiven him in the end. After they had finished eating, she had said goodbye and gone to meet Amamiya Chiori so they could go to their Box R shoot together. Yashiro had then appeared out of nowhere with one of his trademark wicked grins in place.

Ren sighed.

"What is it, Yashiro?" he asked.

"Ren," he said, stretching out the name, almost as if in song, "You're finally calling Kyouko-chan by her first name."

"Yes, I am," he said.

"You were still calling her 'Mogami-san' on the phone earlier. Your mood seems to be improved too. Did something happen?" Yashiro asked.

"We simply had a discussion," Ren said.

"Ren," Yashiro said.

"What is it?" he asked. Sometimes talking to Yashiro was like having teeth pulled. No matter how much you complained, he would get it out in the end.

"I know her reaction is cute, but you shouldn't tease her too much," he said, still grinning evilly, "she'll hate you."

Ren sighed and wondered for exactly how much of their lunch Yashiro had been present. He was going to have to be more vigilant. If he wanted time alone with Kyouko, he would have to spend it in a place where Yashiro and President Takarada didn't have such ready access to them.

* * *

><p>The President smiled as he watched over the security footage of LA Hearts. He couldn't exactly have sound equipment installed all over the restaurant, at least not good enough equipment to be able to hear the conversations at every table. He would have to wait for a call from one of his informants before he knew what their conversation consisted of, but he was happy to see the actions of the couple.<p>

Kyouko had been blushing almost nonstop, but she hadn't made a move to disengage herself when Ren had touched her hand, and she had even, very briefly albeit, leaned across the table and whispered in his ear.

It wasn't exactly the progress he had been hoping for, but progress was progress.

Now that the couple had separated, he switched back to watching the video of their interview practice. It seemed Chiaki was right. They weren't entirely hopeless. They were slowly getting closer to where they needed to be. He only hoped they would get there before something happened that necessitated an interview.

* * *

><p>Aki Shouko sighed as she eyed her charge. He had been horribly sullen ever since the encounter with Kyouko at LME. The statement issued by Akatoki hadn't been enough to counteract the rumors that he had been dumped by Kyouko. And though he could have used the rumors to his advantage, to write songs about lost love which would deepen his emotional impact on his fans, his pride had gotten in the way. His latest songs had nothing to do with his real emotional state and thus came off shallow. For the first time in months, none of his singles had made it to number one.<p>

Since LME's statement confirming the relationship between Kyouko and Ren, he had gotten even worse.

He grumbled to himself as he flipped through the channels at light speed.

"Shou, why don't you turn off the TV and we can go take a break," Shouko said, gently removing the controller from Shou's hand. "You haven't left the apartment in a while."

Shou continued to stare at the device which seemed to only cause him further irritation.

Shouko sighed, pointed the remote toward the screen, which was showing images of Shou's most loathed couple, holding hands outside of a film studio, and turned off the TV.

He continued to stare at the blank screen.

"Shou, why don't you call her and actually talk to her?" Shouko suggested. "It might not be too late."

"Who would want to talk to such a plain, boring, unsexy girl?" Shou snapped.

Shouko shook her head and left the room.

"You would, Shou," she whispered. "Among others."

**AN:GAH! Taking a break from the school project (which is kicking my butt) to post this. Memorizing lines in foreign languages is hard! ****At least I will be on break after my final tomorrow morning :D Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	38. Chapter 38 Gathering Clouds

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

As per recent norm, Ren picked Kyouko up at LME after her last filming to give her a ride home. He was taking her home, then going back to LME to pick up Yashiro and head to another job. Though Kyouko's was picking up, her schedule was still much shorter than Ren's. She tried again to convince him not to take the time just to give her rides, and again, she failed.

"Then, why not at least have Yashiro-san come along so you can head straight to your next job?" she suggested.

"Oh, no, I couldn't do that, Kyouko-chan," Yashiro said. "I really need this time to catch up on paperwork."

The wide smile on his face did not help convince her, and ever since she'd seen his photo collection, and been told of his scrapbooks, she had grown increasingly suspicious of the term 'paperwork.' He scuttled off before she could question him, however, so she obediently left with Ren.

Her phone rang as they walked to his car, but when she picked it up, no one was there.

"Who was that?" Ren asked.

"I don't know. Nobody was there," Kyouko said, ending the call and checking the log for a number. "Unidentified."

A familiar shiver ran down her spine. She hoped it wasn't that idiot beagle again. She'd thought, as terrified of Ren as he was, that he would leave her alone after hearing the news of their relationship, but perhaps they didn't have TVs or magazines in hell.

"You ok?" Ren asked, face painted with concern.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling. She didn't want to worry him over what might be just a normal prank call, or a wrong number.

Ren eyed her suspiciously, but didn't prod her any further.

When they were on the road to the Darumaya, the phone rang again. Kyouko looked at the screen and again saw 'unidentified number.'

"Hello?" she answered.

Again, there was silence.

"There's no one there," she said, turning to Ren.

"We should talk to The President about getting you a new number," Ren said.

"Eh? Do you think that's necessary?" she asked.

"Kyouko, you've gotten two prank calls within that last ten minutes," he said.

"It's not always like tha—" Kyouko began, before the ringing of her phone cut her off.

Ren held out his hand. "Let me answer this time."

Kyouko handed him the phone.

"Hello," he said. He paused a moment. "Do not call this number again."

He ended the call and handed the phone back.

"We'll talk to The President tomorrow," he said.

Kyouko didn't think a few prank calls required such drastic measures as changing phone numbers, but Ren had been in the industry longer. He had probably had to deal with this sort of thing before.

Kyouko agreed and he dropped her off, promising to pick her up a little early the next day so they could discuss the phone problem with The President before their practice interview and shoot for _Selling_.

The next day, Ren was prompt as usual, and Kyouko had a new number by the time they left for their shoot.

* * *

><p>Ren scanned the set as soon as they arrived, pleased not to find Shirota Ryou anywhere within sight. He was due to film a few scenes with Ren and Kyouko later in the afternoon, so it was possible he wasn't there yet.<p>

With the annoyance nowhere in sight, Ren watched Kyouko with a smile as she gave her new number to the director and to the actresses who played Rika's close friends, Wada Michiko, who played Emi and Eda Satomi who playedYuko.

"Why did you have to get a new number, Kyouko-chan?" asked Michiko.

"Ah, um I kept getting weird calls," she said. "So, it was just in case."

"Eh? Like a stalker?" Satomi asked.

"No, no, no," Kyouko said, waving her hands. "It was probably just a wrong number, but um we thought it was best to be cautious."

"We?" the girls said in unison.

The two girls' eyes were immediately on Ren and they began to squeal about how cute the couple was. The director chuckled, shook his head and walked away. Kyouko blushed. Then Ryou showed up.

"Ah, are we exchanging numbers?" he asked, coming upon the group. "Send it to me too."

Ryou pulled out his cell phone. That was Ren's cue to approach.

"I think I'll go get a drink," Satomi said. "Michiko-san, Ryou-san, want to come?"

"I will," Michiko said. She tugged on Ryou's sleeve. "Come on, Ryou-san."

"Ah, just let me exchange numbers with Kyouko-san first," Ryou said. He evidently didn't sense malicious being approaching.

"Shirota-kun," Ren said, giving a sunburn inducing smile. "I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Y—you have?" Ryou asked with a gulp.

"Yes," Ren said, moving to Kyouko's side and taking her hand. "I wanted to thank you for keeping Kyouko company the other day when I wasn't on set."

"Oh, um, n—no problem," Ryou said. He was beginning to squirm.

"Kyouko and I probably won't have many days while we're not filming together, but it's nice to know that she has _friends_ on set. Please continue to be her _friend_," Ren said.

"S—sure," Ryou said, snapping his phone shut and slipping it back into his pocket. "Um, I think I'll go find Michiko-san and Satomi-san. See you later."

"See you later," Ren said.

The boy scurried off in the direction the girls had headed.

"Tsu—Ren-san," Kyouko said, looking up at Ren with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, Kyouko?" he asked.

"You didn't have to ask Ryou-san to be my friend," she said. "He was already being really friendly. I think you might have made him feel bad by implying that he wasn't. Did you see how fast he ran off? He even forgot to exchange numbers first."

Ren smiled. Mission accomplished.

"Maybe he was just really thirsty," Ren said. "Weren't Satomi-san and Michiko-san buying drinks?"

Kyouko gave him an incredulous look.

"Should we get something?" he asked. "We'd better hurry. We'll be starting soon."

"Ah, um alright," Kyouko agreed.

Ren purposely lead her in the opposite direction the others had headed, to a spot where he'd seen a vending machine before. Ren could have used the opportunity to showcase their relationship in front of Ryou, but he was fairly certain, if the speed at which he'd fled was any indication, that he had gotten the picture. He probably wouldn't try to ask Kyouko for her number again, or try to discuss whatever the other matter he'd mentioned yesterday was.

* * *

><p>"We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is out of range, or no longer in service," the recording said for perhaps the fiftieth time.<p>

He hung up, took a deep breath and barely succeeded in not smashing his phone against the wall. This was all _his_ doing. She had been answering her phone up until yesterday. Then, after _he _answered it, it suddenly got disconnected. Now how was he supposed to contact her?

He'd been made an ass of last time he showed up at her company. He couldn't reach her by phone. He didn't know where she was living. He didn't know where she was going to school. If he showed up on the set of her drama, _he_ would be there.

Life really sucked at the moment.

**AN: I am sleep deprived, with dark circles that make me look like I've been punched in the face****, but my final is over! I'm sure there are typos, as usual -_- But I'm going to sleep. I'll try and go over this again after some rest, but if you point out a mistake to me, I'll probably fix it faster. Thank you again to all who are reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I really do read and appreciate every single review****, I just can't keep up with responses anymore :( Still, feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. They make me happy :D**


	39. Chapter 39 Building Pressure

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Shou's phone had had many narrow escapes in its lifetime. Its owner's incendiary temper made it a wonder it had survived this long. Recent events however, had been causing a mounting threat to its wellbeing, and finally its days had run out.

Shou was torturing himself yet again, watching an entertainment news program which was doing a feature on the famous couple.

"Now that LME has officially released a statement confirming their relationship, everyone is on pins and needles waiting to see who will get the first interview," a female anchor said. "So far, none have been accepted."

"'Cause they're not really dating," Shou told the TV. "This has got to be some sort of publicity stunt for that crap drama."

The TV flashed through images and video clips of the couple together. There was nothing overt between the two, which gave Shou the slightest hope that his publicity theory might actually be true, and not just a desperate attempt to soothe his wounded ego and wounded heart. The sweet smiles, gentle touches and Kyouko's blushing face pissed him off though.

He dialed the number again. Maybe before, he'd been too angry or distracted and punched it in wrong. He very carefully pressed each button.

"We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is out of range, or no longer in service," the recorded voice told him.

"Well, whenever, the interview happens, it's sure to be absolutely adorable," the anchor said. "Just look at how sweet they are."

The image of Ren holding Kyouko tucked beneath his chin as they both slept filled the screen.

"Damn it!" Shou shouted.

He threw his phone straight for the image, shattering the mobile device and cracking the monitor.

* * *

><p>"Shou," Shouko said, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing in frustration. "I'm not even going to ask, because I can pretty much imagine what happened, but please, please don't destroy anything else."<p>

She handed him the new cell phone.

"Let me see yours," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"All my contacts are gone," he said.

She handed over the phone to the unrepentant youth, and he began scrolling through her phone.

"Shou, why don't you just talk to her already, straighten things out? You can't go on like this," she begged.

"I'm not calling her," he said. The number in Shouko's phone was the same he had before. He closed the device and handed it back to her.

"Did you get everyone already?" she asked.

"Don't need it," he said. "They're on my SIM card."

"Then why did you— Never mind," Shouko said. "If you don't call her, I will."

"Don't," Shou shouted.

She gave him a glare, one that he rarely obeyed, but it worked this time. He sat down on the couch, arms folded over his chest, doing his best impression of his own public image. The twitching muscle near his eye gave him away though.

"We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is out of range, or no longer in service," the voice said.

Shouko flipped her phone shut.

"Is this why you're so angry?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said, grabbing the remote and switching on his cracked television.

"Ok, Shou, you're fine," Shouko said. "That's why you destroyed your phone and damaged your TV, because nothing is wrong."

She left the room, slamming the door behind her. Normally she was able to maintain her calm even through Shou's tantrums. Normally, she could soothe him, and normally she could and coax him into good behavior. But things were not normal. Things were getting out of hand. It was worse than the time Vie Ghoul had stolen his music. At that time, only one persona had been able to snap him out of it. Considering the change in circumstances, she didn't know if that would still work, but she was willing to try anything.

Shouko scrolled through her phone, searching to see if she had the number for LME.

* * *

><p>The men stood facing off against each other as they waited for the same girl.<p>

"I want you to stay away from her," the older, taller man said menacingly. "I can see exactly what you're doing."

"What are you, her father?" the younger man asked. "If she wants to be with me, you have no right to stop her."

"I'm _not_ her father," her said, standing over him, glaring down into his eyes. "But if you hurt her, you'll be crying for yours."

"Cut!" called Director Yamaguchi. "Tsuruga-kun, I appreciate your, um, enthusiasm, but can you tone it down a little? Remember, Hajime has touched a nerve by calling you Rika's father. You should look a little more hurt and a little less…murderous."

Ren nodded and they tried the scene again. This time, he was able to keep his anger in check and portray the proper emotions.

"Tasuke!" Rika shouted, running toward the two men. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he said. "We were just talking."

"Looks more like an interrogation," Rika said.

"Nah, it's fine, he's just worried," Hajime said, "since some guy has come to take away his precious daughter."

Tasuke's jaw clenched.

An expression of hurt momentarily flashed over Rika's face. She was with a boy in front of Tasuke, and he was still acting just as a guardian.

"Let's go, Rika," Tasuke said, opening the car door.

"I was going to walk home with Andou-kun today," she said. She studied his face for a reaction, but he remained stoic. He closed the car door, took her by the arm and moved a few steps away from the boy in question.

"You're not going alone somewhere with some boy," Tasuke said.

"He's not some boy," Rika said, baiting him. "I've decided to go out with him."

"You can't," he said immediately.

"Why not?" she asked. Rika stared at him, studying his expression, his answer would determine her course of action.

Tasuke glanced at the handsome young man standing a short distance away.

"I don't like him," he said.

"What?" Rika asked, confused.

"It doesn't feel right," he said, searching for an excuse as he spoke, "You've been classmates all year, and he's just now confessing to you after you happen to witness a drug deal? It's a little too suspicious."

"Oh, so the only reason someone would want to go out with me is to keep an eye on me?" she said. "Funny, _you_ seem to be doing just fine without dating me."

The girl threw him a glare and stormed off back to Hajime.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go."

The boy took her bag from her and they began walking away.

"Rika," Tasuke shouted after her.

"I don't need another guardian," she shouted over her shoulder.

Tasuke, kicked the ground in frustration, rubbed his hands over his temples and got in his car.

The director called cut and reviewed the footage. He was pleased with the result and called for the next scene.

Ryou gave a quick nod to the Ren, barely looked at Kyouko, and ran off to get ready for the next scene. It had been that way all day long. Before today, he had been quite friendly to Kyouko, but now, he seemed to be avoiding her like the plague.

Kyouko frowned as she watched his retreating form. This feeling was all too familiar.

**AN: I still suck at titles. Please continue to ignore them. *draws attention to them with pointless statement* Also, the storm is approaching more slowly than expected. I always think things will take less time than they do...but it is coming up! Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. Now, off to finish my final project. Don't you feel loved knowing that I neglect other things in order to write? :P **


	40. Chapter 40 Sun Break

**I do not own Skip Beat**

Despite Ryou's repeated disappearing act at the end of every scene, filming had gone smoothly up until the final scene of the day. Then, it had gone downhill and Director Yamaguchi ended up postponing the filming of that scene until later.

The difficult scene had been the one in which Hajime realizes that his feelings for Rika have become genuine. In the scene, he was supposed to confess again and try to kiss her, only to be interrupted by Tasuke. The scene was fairly simple, more about the emotions and expressions portrayed than the lines, but Ryou could not seem to get into character. He kept glancing offset right before the attempted kiss.

"Cut," the director had called for what seemed like the fiftieth time. "Shirota-kun, if you keep looking at Tasuke before going in for the kiss, it makes it look like your actions are meant for him. You're supposed the be conveying your feelings to Rika, not trying to anger Tasuke."

The young man had nodded his head and they had tried again, but just like all the times before, his eyes had involuntarily sought Ren before he leaned toward Kyouko.

The director called cut yet again and proposed picking up with the same scene at the next shoot.

Ryou had then run off again, leaving Kyouko alone on the set and Ren just off of it.

Ren moved to her side and offered a hand to help her up. "Well, I guess this means we get to leave early."

"I guess it does," she said with a slight smile.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Eh? I'm fine," she said, brightening her smile. "That last scene was just…a bit tiring."

"Well, I'll take you home soon and you can rest," he said, smiling gently.

Kyouko nodded and they each went to their dressing rooms to change back into their normal clothes.

* * *

><p>Kyouko looked around and sighed. She didn't see Ryou anywhere. She'd hoped to get a chance to talk to him before leaving, but it seemed he'd already gone, and Ren was waiting for her. She didn't know what had changed from this morning, but if there was a problem, she wanted to solve it. Ryou had been kind to her, so if she'd done something to upset him, she wanted to apologize as quickly as possible.<p>

Her stomach churned as she headed back to meet Ren. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't the same as middle school, that Ryou wasn't like the girls who'd hated her merely because of her connection with Shou, but that only brought forward a more distressing thought.

* * *

><p>When Ren emerged from his dressing room, Yashiro was waiting for him. He'd been hanging back recently, trying to give Ren and Kyouko plenty of time alone together, but now that Kyouko was changing, he approached Ren.<p>

"You're shoot is going to take forever if you keep this up, you know," the older man said.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Keep what up?"

"Scaring that poor boy to death," Yashiro said. "I could feel your killing intent from across the room. I'm surprised he managed so well."

"Tasuke doesn't like Hajime," Ren said. "I was in character."

Yashiro snorted. "How convenient for you that your character's feelings and your own coincide so nicely."

Ren glared.

"Just a friendly observation," Yashiro said, holding his hands up.

Ren said nothing, but he had gotten his point across. Ren might not acknowledge it out loud, but he was a reasonable man…most of the time. Hopefully Kyouko being involved would not cloud his ability to think logically. He was still a professional after all.

* * *

><p>Kyouko emerged from her dressing room to find Ren and Yashiro waiting. Yashiro was grinning. Ren looked slightly irritated, but he brightened up when he saw her.<p>

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, and they made their way to Ren's car.

Kyouko stared out the window as they drove back to LME. The worry brought to mind by Ryou's abandonment would not leave her mind, and she began to feel ever more anxious as they approached their place of employment.

"Kyouko-chan?" Yashiro repeated.

"Hmm?" Kyouko asked, coming out of her haze.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Yashiro asked, "You seem a little…distracted."

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry," Kyouko said. "I was just thinking about something. Please forgive me."

"It's alright, Kyouko-chan," Yashiro laughed. "You don't need to get so worked up about it."

"Ah, I'm sorry," she said again.

She'd been so distracted by the idea that she might lose one friend that she'd been ignoring her present company.

Yashiro laughed again.

"It's fine," he said, "I was just saying that you did well today."

"Ah, thank you," she said. "I was worried that today might not have gone well."

"Why is that," Ren asked.

"Um, well, because Ryou-san kept running off after every take, so I wondered if I was upsetting him, or if he didn't like acting with me anymore," she said.

Yashiro snorted.

Ren cast him a glare in the rearview mirror.

"I'm sure that's not the case," Ren said.

"But, he was avoiding me today," she said. "He wasn't like that before, and we weren't even able to finish the last scene. What if this goes on and we can't film on time? If I don't know what I did, I can' fix it."

Ren sighed, and Kyouko wondered if she was upsetting him too.

"It's not your fault," Ren said. He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure things will get better."

Kyouko didn't know where his confidence came from, but she hoped he was right.

They soon arrived at LME and Yashiro bid them good evening, grinning at Ren all the while. They were about to leave again when a small girl shot across the room and stopped just in front of them.

"I'm mad at you, you know," Maria said, scowling.

Kyouko's heart sunk. This had been exactly what she was afraid of. She had known that Maria had a crush on Ren, but everything had happened so suddenly, she hadn't had a chance to talk to the little girl about the change in their relationship. Not that it would have made a difference. Maria would still like Ren whether Kyouko broke the news to her gently or not.

"You didn't tell me anything!" she said, hands on her hips.

"I'm so sorry, Maria-chan," Kyouko said.

"You should be," the little girl said. "I had to find out from grandfather."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. "So, you're not mad that we're dating, just that we didn't tell you?"

Maria huffed.

"If it had been anyone else, I would have brought out my trusty lunchbox," Maria said.

Kyouko had no idea what a lunchbox had to do with anything, but from the look on Ren's face, she gathered it was not a very pleasant item.

"I'm sorry we didn't say anything, Maria-chan," Ren said.

Kyouko repeated the apology.

"I'll forgive you this once, but if you hurt Ren-sama, I'll snatch him from you," she said, then turning to Ren, "and if you hurt Onee-sama, I'll snatch her from you!"

"Thank you, Maria-chan," Kyouko said, gathering the little girl into her arms for a hug.

Her day hadn't turned out so horribly after all. She was not after all, the same girl she had been in middle school, and Ren was not Shou.

**AN: Ah! Cutting it close! Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	41. Chapter 41 Partly Cloudy

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Maria-chan, what are you doing here this evening anyway?" Kyouko asked.

"I was supposed to be having dinner with grandfather," she said huffily.

"Eh? Then is this ok?" Kyouko asked.

Maria had insisted that Ren and Kyouko have dinner with her as penance for not telling her about their relationship directly. They were now sitting in LA Hearts having a meal for the second time of the day.

"It's fine," Maria said. "When I got here, the secretary told me that there was a sudden meeting and that grandfather said to eat without him."

"I'm sure he'll make it up to you," Ren said with a smile. "And this way, we get to have the pleasure of your company."

Maria blushed.

"You shouldn't flirt in front of your girlfriend, Ren-sama!" Maria said. "She'll get jealous."

Ren glanced at Kyouko, who was hiding her smile by taking a sip of water.

"I think I'll be forgiven as long as it's you, Maria-chan, since we both love you," he said.

Maria blushed.

"Don't worry," Kyouko said, covertly winking at Ren, "I already knew he was like this when I decided to go out with him."

Ren looked at Kyouko in wonder. Come to think of it, he had never seen her jealous. Granted, he was talking to Maria, but Ren wasn't sure he would be as understanding, even if the one flirting with Kyouko was a little boy. He sighed. Kyouko was four years younger, but sometimes she was much more mature.

"You can't just sit there staring and not eat, Ren-san," Kyouko said, breaking him from his thoughts. "You have work later, right? You need to keep up your strength."

"Alright," he said, taking a bite. "Just for you."

* * *

><p>"I appreciate your concern for your charge," Lory Takarada said to his sudden guest, "but I'm afraid I cannot grant your request."<p>

The woman started to speak, but Lory held up a hand and continued.

"Though I cannot grant your request at this time, I am willing to work with you and your agency to take appropriate action. I too think it's best that these rumors are cleared up as soon as possible," he said.

"Sir, I thank you for your offer, but I fear that a meeting between the two is the only thing that will work," she said. "I'm sorry to admit it, but I don't know what rash actions he may take if something isn't done."

The President's smile dropped and he became dead serious.

"Then where is he?" he asked.

"Ah, um, he is currently working," she lied.

"He doesn't know you're here, does he?" he asked.

She looked up at him shocked and sheepish.

"No," she admitted.

"Aki-san, your care for the boy really is admirable, but I'm afraid I cannot sacrifice the comfort and safety of my people to appease the wounded pride of a boy who's pride is to blame in the first place," he said.

"Shou would never hurt Kyouko-san!" Shouko declared vehemently.

"He already has, Aki-san," The President said. "There are more ways than one to hurt someone. I'll give you the number of the publicist working with Kyouko and Ren. Through her, you can decide the appropriate amount of disclosure concerning the past connection between Fuwa-san and Kyouko."

Shouko took the proffered business card, bowed and left. She could tell she wasn't going to get any further with this man. He was right anyway. She couldn't keep codling Shou. If he was going to get through this, he would have to do some growing up.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Maria, there you are!" her grandfather said, approaching their table. "I see you've found some dinner companions to replace me."<p>

"Well, you _did_ say to eat without you," she pouted, then mumbled, "stupid meeting."

"Well it looks like you're having fun with Ren and Mogami-kun," he said, nodding to them in greeting.

Maria nodded enthusiastically, Kyouko blushed and Ren smirked.

Maria's idea of fun had been grilling them about their relationship for the past hour. She was even harder on them than Chiaki.

The ever popular, "who confessed to whom," question came up, along with more embarrassing ones.

Maria leaned toward Kyouko when Ren seemed occupied chewing a particularly large bite, and in an all too audible whisper, asked, "What is it like to kiss Ren-sama?"

Ren had nearly choked, trying not to laugh of inhale his food.

Kyouko had turned bright red and stuttered for a good long while before managing to communicate that they had not kissed yet.

Far from giving Kyouko mercy, Maria's eyes went wide and she nearly shouted, "What a waste!"

She then continued her interrogation asking, "So, do you love each other?"

There was an immediate yes from Ren, more blushing, sputtering and an eventual nod from Kyouko.

"Are you going to get married then?" Maria asked.

"Eh? Um, Maria-chan, we've just barely started dating, there's no way we can know something like that so quickly!" Kyouko said, still bright red from the last question.

"Why?" Maria asked in her childish innocence. "If you love each other, isn't it natural to get married?"

Kyouko again began to sputter, but all Maria's questions and Kyouko's answers had put Ren in a high good humor, so he rescued her.

"It's a little more complicated than that, Maria-chan," Ren said, "But we promise to let you know when we decide to get married."

"When?" Kyouko asked, eyes the size of saucers.

"Won't you want to tell Maria-chan right away?" Ren asked, giving a full force godly smile.

"Eh, um, well, y—yes, but, um, don't you mean 'if,' and not 'when?'" Kyouko asked.

Ren just smiled at her again.

"Ooh! Can I be a flower girl at your wedding?" Maria asked.

"Um, but Maria-chan, we're not even engaged yet," Kyouko said.

"I didn't mean _now_. I mean when you do get married," Maria said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Eh, um, well—" Kyouko stuttered.

"Can't I?" Maria asked, looking up at Kyouko with big watery eyes.

"Eh? No, I mean, you can, but—"

Maria cut her off with a squeal of glee and proceeded to begin planning their wedding for them. Ren simply looked on with a smile as Kyouko repeatedly tried to change the subject. She finally gave up and let Maria prattle away, and that was when The President had found them.

"Well, it's fortunate that you're all together," The President said. "Ren, Mogami-kun, I would like to speak with you later, if possible."

"Ah, I have to leave for another job soon," Ren said, glancing at his watch.

"Well, no matter, I can discuss it with Mogami-kun first," The President said.

Ren looked at him questioningly.

"Go on, go on," he said. "We'll discuss it more in depth at your meeting with Toda-san tomorrow."

"Alright," Ren agreed reluctantly. "I'll call you tonight, Kyouko."

Kyouko nodded. "Good luck at your shoot."

Maria gave Ren a hug goodbye, then turned to Kyouko.

"Onee-sama, aren't you going to at least hug him goodbye?" Maria asked.

Kyouko blushed bright red. This girl was definitely related to The President.

"Um, but Maria-chan, there are a lot of people around," Kyouko tried to explain.

"It's just a hug," Maria said. "I did it."

How was Kyouko to explain the difference between Maria hugging Ren and Kyouko hugging Ren?

The President eagerly watched, grinning from ear to ear.

Ren stood there, expression unreadable.

"Don't you love him?" Maria asked.

Kyouko looked from Ren to Maria to The President, and back to Ren.

"Goodbye, Ren-san," she said, stepping up to him, loosely circling her arms around his waist and immediately stepping back.

As brief at the hug had been, it still caused Ren to grace her with a blinding smile before bidding her the final good night of the evening and going to get Yashiro and head to the next job.

The grinning President seemed lost in dreamland and it took Kyouko a few tries before she finally roused him.

"President Takarada," she said, practically shouting.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, Mogami-kun?" he asked.

"Um, earlier you said you had something you wanted to discuss with me?"

He glanced at his granddaughter.

"Maria, why don't you go pick out some desserts for us?" he suggested.

Maria knew when she was conveniently being disposed of, but she did as she was bid.

"Now then, " The President said once Maria was out of hearing, "Mogami-kun, how would you feel about meeting with Fuwa Shou?"

**AN: I get the best ideas when I'm in the shower, then they rattle around in my brain, growing stale, while I work all day. Oh for the time to write when I feel like it! Then next couple days are going to be a bit hectic for me, but I will still try my best to update. Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D **


	42. Chapter 42 The Storm Within

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko sat, staring at her ringing phone. She knew she should answer. She had been expecting his call, but she didn't know what to say. He was bound to ask about what The President had discussed with her, and the topic was one which always seemed to put him in a bad mood. Still, he had told her he'd call, she couldn't just not answer.

She finally picked it up, right before it would have gone to voicemail.

"Hello," she answered timidly.

"Good, I thought I'd missed you," Ren said. "Hi."

"Ah, no, I'm here," she said.

"I can see that," he said. "Did you get home alright?"

"Yes, Maria-chan and President Takarada took me home," she said.

"Oh?" he asked.

She shouldn't have mentioned The President. She had brought Ren's mind in exactly the direction she didn't want it to go.

"Did he tell you what he wanted to talk to you about?" Ren asked.

"Um, yes…" she said.

He would find out tomorrow anyway. She might as well tell him, but she really didn't want to bring it up.

"So, what was it about?" he asked.

"Ah, um, well, he…um, he wanted to know if I would be willing to…to meet with Shou," she said.

"I see," Ren said.

His tone was completely neutral. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling, and it seemed her anger sensor wouldn't work over the phone.

"Um, are— are you angry?" she asked.

She heard him take a deep breath.

"Not at you," he said.

"Eh? But then, you are angry, aren't you?" she said.

"What did you tell The President?" Ren asked, avoiding her question.

"Um, I asked if I could have some time to think about it," she said. "He said that we would discuss it with Toda-san tomorrow…"

"I see," he said.

"Um, Ren-san?" she asked.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Um, what do you think I should do?"

Part of the worry she had surrounding a meeting with Shou was the thought of upsetting Ren. He was never happy when Shou was spoken of, not to mention when he was actually Present.

She recalled the evening Ren had joined the Dark Moon shoot in Karuizawa, when Shou had turned up at his hotel room. She shuddered at the memory.

"What do you want to do?" Ren asked. "Do you want to meet him?"

"Eh? No! Of course not!" she vehemently denied, "Only…"

"Only what?" he asked, still with a calm, unreadable tone.

The lack of emotion was making Kyouko nervous. He had to be feeling something, but he wasn't showing it.

"Um, I think maybe I should see him," she said, then rushed on, "You know, like once and for all, just to clear the air and show him that I won't let him get to me anymore."

"Couldn't you achieve that by ignoring him?" Ren asked.

"Um, maybe," Kyouko said. "Only, we _were_ friends once, even if I was the only one who felt that way…"

"So, you want to be friends with him again?" Ren asked.

"Eh? No! I— I just— I don't know," she said.

"And you'll know if you see him," Ren said.

Now, Kyouko could finally sense strain in Ren's voice.

"Should I not do it?" Kyouko asked.

"You should do what you think is best and what you think you can handle," Ren said. "I'll support whatever decision you make."

"R—really?" Kyouko asked.

"I will always support you," Ren said.

Kyouko could feel her cheeks burning.

"Th—thank you," she said.

"Kyouko?" he asked.

"Y—yes?" she replied.

"You're not—"

"What is it?" she asked.

"Never mind," he said. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, the usual time."

"Um, alright," she said.

"Goodnight, Kyouko," he said.

"Goodnight," she replied.

* * *

><p>Ren looked down at his hands. His knuckles where white from the tightness of his clenched fists. He'd had to hang up before his mask of calm slipped away and he ended up scaring her.<p>

He wanted to wring The President's neck. He wanted to wring Shou's neck, or worse…much worse. He wanted to tell Kyouko to never see that stupid boy again, that he wasn't worth it, that he didn't deserve to see her again, but those were his own feelings of jealousy, doubt and fear.

He knew Kyouko was with him now. He knew that she cared about him, that he was important to her, but somehow her feelings for him still seemed to pale in comparison to his feelings for her and hers for Shou. He finally knew what all his ex girlfriends had been talking about when they'd said the depth of their love was different from his.

Ren took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. He couldn't afford to scare her. He couldn't afford to be selfish. He would let her do what she thought was best and content himself with the thought that he would annihilate Shou if he ever again caused Kyouko to shed so much as a single tear.

* * *

><p>Kyouko was still apprehensive about Ren's feelings after she hung up with him. He'd said he wasn't angry at her, which meant he was angry at someone. And at the end of their conversation, he'd begun to sound strained. He'd also hung up much more abruptly than usual.<p>

She hadn't gotten much sleep that night. She had been thinking about what she ought to do. She didn't want to see Shou, and though he didn't say it, it seemed that Ren really didn't want her to see him either. Still, she somehow felt that she should, and she didn't know how to tell Ren.

When Ren picked her up in the morning, she was prepared for a stoic, agitated or angry attitude, not the normalcy which met her.

"Good morning, Kyouko," he greeted her with his usual gentle smile.

"Good morning," she returned, a bit confused.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, noting her furrowed brow.

"Um, aren't you…upset?" she asked.

Ren smiled. "Why would I be upset?"

"Because you seemed upset when we hung up last night, and you're always upset whenever it comes to Shou, and we're heading to a meeting where he's definitely going to be a topic," she said.

Ren laughed.

"You know me too well," he said.

"So, um, aren't you upset?" she asked.

"I'll be fine as long as I'm still in your future and he's still in your past at the end of this," Ren said.

Kyouko looked at him quizzically.

"I'll be fine," he summarized.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes. Now, are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Ah, yes," she said, ducking back inside to throw on her coat.

Ren gave her a tense smile when she reemerged. It wasn't his genuine smile, but it wasn't his perfect, lying gentlemanly smile either. He somehow looked nervous.

She wanted to take that tension away.

"Um, Ren-san?" she asked.

"Yes?" he answered her, stopping.

"Um, can I— um…" she mumbled.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Um, your hand," she said, blushing furiously as she tentatively reached for it, "um, can I…"

Ren's tension seemed to melt away as took his hand in hers.

They walked the short distance to the car that way, and resumed as soon as they were out of the car again at LME.

Kyouko blushed as paparazzi outside the building snapped pictures, and employees inside gave knowing smiles, but she didn't let go. They held hands as they rode the elevator up to the conference room where their meeting would be, as they walked through the door, as Chiaki greeted them politely, and as The President greeted them with a ridiculously happy expression.

"Well, we've got some serious business to attend to today," The President said, unable to match his expression to his words. "Let's get started, shall we?"

**AN: So, I meant to get to the meeting in this chapter, but then I got sidetracked by internal conflict and fluff, so...next time :D Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Fell free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	43. Chapter 43 Battening Down the Hatches

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

With much effort, President Takarada managed to reign in his goofy grin and replace it with a more businesslike expression.

"So, Mogami-kun, have you had time to think about what I asked you?" The President questioned once everyone was seated.

Ren gave Kyouko's hand a little squeeze.

"To be honest, I really don't want to see Shou," Kyouko said.

The President looked a bit disappointed.

"But I think I should," she finished.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"I think Shou thinks he owns me," Kyouko said, face momentarily clouding over. "He thinks that everything I do is still for his sake, even if it's for the sake of defeating him."

All eyes turned to Ren, who was still sitting calmly by Kyouko's side, not single change in expression induced by the statement. It was fairly obvious though that it was due to extreme self control rather than a lack of emotional response.

"I guess it doesn't really matter what he thinks," Kyouko said, taking a calming breath and continuing in determination, "but whether he believes me or not, I want him to know that he's not my motivation anymore. I have a life now, and he's not it."

She blushed as she finished speaking. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she was relieved to have said it, and relieved to feel the tension leave the hand that was holding hers.

Ren smiled at her and gave her hand another gentle squeeze.

"Well then, we'd better prepare for a meeting," The President said with a grin. "Toda-san?"

"Yes, well, your feelings are admirable, Kyouko-san," Chiaki said. "They are definitely something we'll want to give you an opportunity to convey, but we should also use this meeting as an opportunity to deal with some of the questions the public has been wanting to know."

Kyouko nodded.

"First, we'll want to determine exactly what we release to the public about your past relationship," she said. "Though Akatoki has denied it, most people consider the rumor that Fuwa Shou is your jilted lover to be a fact. They are not going to believe that there is no connection between you two, so we'll have to determine what you are both comfortable telling and what is believable."

"How about the truth?" Kyouko said.

Chiaki smiled. "There are many levels of truth, Kyouko-san."

"Um, I just meant to say we were childhood friends," she said, blushing. She felt terribly naïve.

"That is a good starting point," Chiaki said. "But then there is the issue of your falling out. Though we could give the details, it would probably only serve to hurt both of your careers, so, though we strive to be as truthful as possible, we also want a certain level of vagueness, almost nonchalance. We want to send the message that this is the basic idea of what happened and the boring details are not worth knowing."

"Ah, I hadn't thought of that," Kyouko said.

Chiaki smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

"Thank you, Toda-san," Kyouko said, offering a grateful smile.

Chiaki waved her off.

"Now, this is the part you may not like," she said, "but I've seen you act, so I believe you can do it."

Kyouko tensed, bracing herself for the worst. What that might be, she knew not, but anything involving Shou was already pretty bad to start with.

"The fastest way to dispel the rumors about him being your ex is to do an interview with him," she said.

"But I haven't even done an interview with Ren-san," Kyouko said.

Chiaki eyed Ren.

"Yes, well, the interview would be with the three of you," she said.

Kyouko was silent. Ren had been very supportive of her decision. He hadn't gotten angry, but she could tell that he was upset. She didn't think it would be fair to subject him to an entire interview with Shou.

"I'll do it," Ren said. There was no way he was leaving Kyouko to do an interview with Shou without him.

"You would both have to remove any trace of animosity between you, or doing the interview will only make things worse," Chiaki said.

"Um, I think that Ren-san and I can do it," Kyouko said, "but if you put Shou in the same room with Ren-san, I don't think he will behave very well."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but for now, Kyouko-san, you're going to have to stop doing that," Chiaki said.

"Eh? Doing what?" Kyouko asked, beginning to panic.

Chiaki sighed.

"You can't use an honorific with your boyfriend and none with the childhood friend you are supposed to have mostly lost contact with," she said. "It makes it sound like you're closer to Fuwa-kun than to Tsuruga-san."

The President smirked as Ren glanced at Kyouko and the girl turned bright red, ready for meltdown.

"Eh? That's not true at all! I mean, I probably know more about Shou because we grew up together, but I don't want to. If I could erase my memories of him, and replace them with memories of Ren-san, I would do it, but it definitely doesn't mean I'm closer to him. And Shou and I are the same age, so of course I can be more casual in terms of address. Ren-san is my elder and my sempai and worthy of respect. I can't just address him the same way I do _that_ idiot," Kyouko rambled.

For a while, Chiaki just sat back with a grin on her face and watched the girl talk, but when there didn't seem to be any signs of her excuses flagging, she finally interrupted.

"Then how about addressing Fuwa-kun with an honorific and Tsuruga-san without one?" she suggested.

"But I have way more respect for Ren-san than for Shou, so how can I—"

"Don't think of in terms of respect," Chiaki said. "Think about it in terms of closeness. By addressing Fuwa-kun with an honorific, you're putting distance between the two of you, and by addressing Tsuruga-san without one, you're getting closer."

"Eh? But— I—"

"I did ask you to call me Ren," the man said.

"But, I—"

"Try it," Chiaki suggested.

The President grinned maniacally.

Ren smiled adoringly.

Kyouko squirmed.

"But, um, in front of everyone?" she asked.

The older people grinned.

"Shall we leave the room then?" The President asked.

"Eh? No! That's even more embarrassing!" Kyouko said.

Ren leaned in closer.

"Just say it to me," he said, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

She sat there for a moment, trying to build up her courage. Then she closed her eyes, leaned in next to his ear and whispered a single word.

"Ren."

When she pulled back and opened her eyes, the emperor of the night was looking down at her, and even The President was blushing.

"Maybe we should have left the room after all," Chiaki said.

The President cleared his throat and the emperor faded.

"Yes, um, well, see, you can do it?" Chiaki said. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Um, so back to the interview with Fuwa-kun. We'll have a meeting with him and his manager at the end of the week. I want you to study these questions in the mean time and consider what you're comfortable with telling the world."

Kyouko was a little intimidated by the idea of telling the world about herself, but she nodded and took the questions from Chiaki. Ren did the same.

The two were then dismissed to go to the rest of their jobs for the day.

"Well, I'm actually a little relieved," Ren said.

"Eh? Why?" Kyouko asked.

"Once we do this interview, maybe the idea that we're together will finally sink in and men will stop hitting on you," Ren said with a chuckle.

"Eh? No one has hit on me," Kyouko said.

Ren sighed.

"Who are you talking about?" Kyouko asked in confusion.

"Oh, that's an interesting question," he said, pointing to the list in Kyouko's hand.

She glanced down at the question Ren had pointed to and let out a shriek.

"Where these questions written by Maria-chan?" Kyouko asked.

Many of them certainly did fall along the lines of Maria's questions. The one Ren had pointed to in particular bore a striking resemblance to one of hers.

'Is Tsuruga-san a good kisser?' stared up at Kyouko in black and white.

She was too distracted trying to figure out how to answer the question to remember her own question to Ren.

"Well, shall we go?" Ren said, grinning at her.

Kyouko mutely nodded and followed Ren to the car. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this interview after all.

**AN: Things always taking me longer than I think. I forgot how tiring hours of posing is, and I am still recovering from my stupid cough, so writing time became nap time. Day off tomorrow though, so hopefully I can finish my chapter at a reasonable hour :) Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	44. Chapter 44 The Storm: Part 1

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Shouko-san, why do we have to go to the studio?" Shou whined. "If there was something wrong with the song, I would have noticed."

"Um, it wasn't the song itself. Something went wrong with the recording," she said.

"But why do we have to go back _now_?" he asked.

"Because it was the only time they were available," she said.

"They're open all the freaking time," he said.

"Just cooperate, please?" she said.

Shou snorted, but settled down and quit asking questions.

Shouko knew she was taking a huge chance by bringing Shou to the meeting without preparing him, but LME's president had stipulated that this was to be a professional meeting and that all involved parties were to be present. That meant that Tsuruga Ren would be there, and if Shou knew, he would definitely refused to go.

They had decided to meet at a building containing one of the recording studios frequently utilized by Shou. The building was not owned by either Akatoki or LME, and thus seemed as close as possible to neutral ground.

When they arrived at the building, Shou headed down the familiar hall to the recording studio, but Shouko laid a hand on his arm to stop him.

"This way," she said.

"I thought we were recording," Shou said, beginning to grow suspicious.

She lead him down a hall to a conference room.

"Actually, you have a meeting," she said.

Shou quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

Shouko kept track of all of Shou's meetings. Usually she told him what they were about, but he didn't really listen to what she said anyway. Her function was primarily to drag him out of bed and get him there. Then, he would turn on the charm and improvise his way into the hearts of whoever he was meeting with.

He reached for the doorknob, confident as always, whipped out his trademark heartbreaking smirk and swung the door wide open. He slammed it shut twice as quickly, and rounded on Shouko.

"What the hell is _that_?" he asked, gesturing to the door.

"Shou, please, just talk to her. You've been so out of it lately, I just thought—"

"You thought that ambushing me with her and her new _boyfriend_ would snap me out of it?" he snarled. "What the hell gave you that idea? And when did I ever say that I wanted to talk to her anyway? She can go on and live her lovey-dovey life with that pinhead actor if she wants. I don't give a—"

"Shou! Shut up!" Shouko shouted.

The singer was shocked into silence. Shouko had never spoken to him that way before.

"Listen and listen close, Shou, because this is for your own good," Shouko said. "You can walk away today and continue pretending that everything is fine. You can pretend it's not affecting you as the quality of your music and the number of your fans decrease, or you can go in there, be a man and face this. The choice is yours, but if you walk away today, I can guarantee you'll never be number one, not in the entertainment industry, and not in _her_ heart."

Shou clenched his fists as his manager spoke. He already knew everything she'd said. He wasn't blind and he wasn't stupid. He knew that the music he'd been writing lately was crap. He had taken all the emotions that wanted to explode onto his scores, out of his lungs and from his fingertips, and stuffed them away in the back of his mind. The things he had written lately had no passion, no soul, and his fans had noticed.

The rumor that he'd been dumped didn't help his cool image either. Rock stars didn't get dumped. He comforted himself with the fact that they had never been dating, so even if she left, he hadn't been dumped. Still, she was his.

He kept repeating 'she's mine' over and over in his head, like a mantra, and then telling himself he didn't care every time he saw _them_ in magazines or on TV. He wanted her, but he didn't want to say it. She had always understood him without him having to say a word before, so why should it be different now?

"Shou," Shouko said, softening and placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Please? I hate seeing you like this."

"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. "I'll do it."

* * *

><p>Lory Takarada, Toda Chiaki, Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyouko stared at the door which had briefly given view of Fuwa Shou before he slammed it shut. No one even had a chance to react before the sounds of loud arguing began to permeate the room.<p>

After an explosive outburst from the singer and an equally loud rebuttal from the manager, an uneasy silence fell.

The party in the conference room began looking at one another, as if to consult on what to do next, when the door slowly opened.

"Um, sorry we're late," Shouko said, sheepishly.

"Not at all," The President said, smiling graciously.

Shou stepped in behind his manager without saying a word.

The President and Chiaki both gave Shou polite smiles. Kyouko managed to maintain a neutral expression, and Ren managed to keep his hostility in check, if just barely.

"Thank you both for coming today." The President said. "I don't know if your manager has explained to you, Fuwa-kun, but we were hoping to use this opportunity to sort out the recent rumors in the press about yours and Kyouko's relationship."

"You mean the BS about her dumping me?" he asked.

"Um, yes, well, I'll let Toda-san handle the specifics," The President said. "Speaking of which, Aki-san, Fuwa-kun, you are of course already acquainted with Mogami Kyouko and Tsuruga Ren, but I don't believe you've met Toda Chiaki, one of LME's finest press agents."

"Nice to meet you," Chiaki said with a bow.

Shouko returned the greeting in kind, while Shou gave a slight nod and a grunt.

Chiaki ignored his rudeness and began.

"As you have probably noticed," she said, "Ren and Kyouko's relationship has been getting a lot of press coverage lately."

Shou snorted.

"Some of which, you are in," she reminded him.

Shou rolled his eyes. "Why should I care if people think she's a nasty, cheating—"

Kyouko placed a restraining hand on Ren's arm as he began to rise from his seat.

"And I suppose your reputation is no worse for the wear then?" Chiaki said, cutting him off just in time to prevent Ren from destroying him.

The singer was silent.

"I thought not," Chiaki said. "As that is the case, it is in your best interest to cooperate."

"Whatever," Shou said, flopping into a chair.

"Good," Chiaki said, taking his response in the affirmative, "Let's get started then, shall we?"

**AN: Sorry this chapter is short, but as the title suggests, it was too long to fit the whole meeting in one chapter. Already part way through the next. More form of address issues: without going into a long-winded explanation, in Japan, when a group of people in the same family, company etc. speak to someone outside of that group, they do not refer to fellow group members using honorifics. Hence no titles added to fellow LME members when talking to Akatoki members. For more info, google "uchi-soto." Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D Thanks for sticking with me for so long!**


	45. Chapter 45 The Storm: Part 2

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

The tension in the room was palpable. The two youngest men in the room kept giving each other death glares. The musician's manager furiously scribbled notes, giving apologetic glances every time her charge said or did something worthy of shame. The young lady at the center of it all sat enshrouded in an eerie sense of calm, her hand tightly entwined with that of the man next to her giving the only indication of nervousness. The President and the press agent alone seemed entirely free of anxiety.

"First, we should establish what exactly to tell the press in regard to your past relationship," Chiaki said, looking at the singer, then the young lady.

"There's nothing to tell," Shou said, a venomous edge to his voice.

"Well, that is one option," Chiaki said, completely ignoring the incivility with which he spoke and addressing the 'suggestion' itself. "But, as you and Kyouko have been spotted together on multiple occasions, I think the press would find the idea that there is not now, nor has there ever been any relationship of any kind between the two of you to be rather…suspicious. Any other suggestions?"

Shou snorted.

"Um, I think it would be best to just say that we were childhood friends who lost touch after joining separate sectors of the entertainment industry," Kyouko offered, tightening her grip on Ren's hand.

"You mean, after I joined and you followed me like a helpless puppy?" Shou said with a smirk.

Kyouko glared.

"Oh, _I_ was the helpless puppy, was I?" Kyouko said, slipping partway into Mio's persona. "Do you really want to expose the fact that you asked me to come along because you're too incompetent to take care of yourself?"

"Who's incompetent? I can take care of myself," Shou shouted.

"Of course you can," Kyouko said sarcastically, "That's why Shouko-san had to take over babysitting you when you tossed me aside. Can you even do your job properly without her forcing you to behave like a professional?"

"Look who's talking," Shou said. "You wouldn't even have a clue how to do your job if you were as busy as me. You're not even in high enough demand to need a manager! Nobody wants to cast a plain, boring, unsexy girl like yo—"

Ren was ready to pounce, until Kyouko stood and stopped Shou mid sentence.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Shoutarou," Kyouko said, spitting out his name like a dirty word, "you're the only one who thinks that. And, not that I need to justify myself to you, but I have plenty of work, and unlike you, I hardly consider sleeping until noon and watching re-runs of variety shows until late at night to be part of a busy schedule."

For a moment, the room was deathly silent. All eyes were on the singer.

"Pft! I don't have to put up with this!" he said, and stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry. I'll go get him," Shouko said, quickly following after him.

As soon at Shou and Shouko left the room, Kyouko's defiant attitude left her, and she almost melted into a dogeza on the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "Everyone went to such an effort to make this meeting happen for the sake of my reputation and I went and let that idiot bait me and lost my temper and ruined everything! I'm so sorry to have wasted everyone's hard work with my lack of maturity. Even if he was behaving like that, I should have bit my tongue and just let him—"

"Mogami-kun, please stop," The President said, waiting as Ren lifted her back to her seat. "It's true that this meeting may not have turned out as hoped, but it was not a waste, and you don't ever have to put up with that sort of language being directed at you. Granted it would be best not to speak that way in an actual interview, but that's part of the reason we are holding this meeting."

Kyouko blinked up at him through watery eyes.

"Eh, but I— I was so—"

"We'll work on that, Mogami-san," Chiaki said. "Just try to calm down for now."

Kyouko nodded and took a deep breath.

* * *

><p>"Shou! Shou, wait!" Shouko called after her charge.<p>

"Why?" he asked, rounding on her. "They've all been freaking attacking me from the moment I stepped into that room."

"That's not true," Shouko said. "They're here to help."

"Oh, like Kyouko's little speech was helpful?" he asked. "They're just trying to make me look like an ass."

"You're doing a plenty good job of that all on your own," Shouko said coldly.

For the second time that day, Shou was stunned by Shouko's uncharacteristic harshness.

She sighed, expression softening.

"Let's go back, Shou," she said.

"I'm not going back in there," he said.

"Then it's ok if they just tell the press whatever they want?" Shouko said. "They could do that, you know? They could spin this to make you look really bad."

Not that it required spinning. They both knew that the truth would be the most damaging.

"They are giving you the opportunity to redeem your reputation," Shouko said, appealing to the one thing that seemed paramount to Shou. "Are you going to throw that away?"

Shou didn't answer, but he turned and stomped back to the conference room.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Fuwa-kun, welcome back," President Takarada greeted, as if nothing had happened.<p>

Shou glared and flopped back into his seat.

Shouko followed him into the room and bowed, mouthing an apology.

Ren glared at the singer, while Kyouko avoided looking in his direction.

"Shall we all take a little break, or are we ready to get back to business?" Chiaki asked.

"Let's get this the hell over with," Shou grumbled.

Shouko blushed at Shou's rudeness.

"Well then," Chiaki said, again ignoring his attitude, "about the previous question. Shall we go with Kyouko's suggestion?"

Shou grunted.

"That's settled then," Chiaki said, taking it in the affirmative. "That should work to explain all the little encounters, but there is one thing I have a feeling the media won't ignore so easily."

Shou stiffened.

"As you are well aware, the events of your visit to LME gave force to the rumors that you and Kyouko were dating," Chiaki said.

"I went there because you lot weren't saying anything to contradict those damn rumors," Shou said. "If you had done your job and denied them, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Sometimes a denial merely gives credence to a rumor," Chiaki said, smiling sympathetically at the distressed boy. "That is no longer an option however. Therefore, it would be best to have answers ready when you are questioned by the media."

"Why should we tell them anything?" Shou asked sullenly.

"Again, saying nothing is an option," Chiaki said, "We could simply say 'no comment' when asked about the reason for your visit, but take a bit of advice from someone who has been in this business long enough to know. You don't want to do that."

"Why the hell not?" Shou asked. "How is anyone's business besides mine and Kyouko's?"

"As an entertainer, it is the business of your fans," Chiaki said. "And right now, they think Kyouko dumped you for Ren. If you really don't want to give any explanation, we will consider it, as the rumor has not had a negative impact on Kyouko's career. However, I would think twice about that option, Fuwa-san. A rumor about getting dumped for someone else is never flattering."

Shou seethed. "Then what do you suggest?"

**AN: Apparently I really want to stretch out this meeting...I will try to finish it in the next chapter. I'm trying to respond to reviews again, but it's been such a long time since I did that I'm sure I've missed people. Sorry! Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	46. Chapter 46 The Storm: Part 3

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"No way in hell!" Shou shouted.

"It makes sense," Chiaki said. "Based on what I've heard from Kyouko, you two were practically raised side by side. It would also likely alleviate any future questions about why the two of you are so familiar with one another."

"There won't be any future questions," the three young people said in unison.

Kyouko blushed at her outburst, while Shou and Ren glared at one another.

Shouko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

The President smirked.

"The decision is not mine to make, but it would make things less complicated in the long run," Chiaki said.

"I'm not telling the media that we were raised like siblings," Shou said. "We are _not_ like siblings! I never once saw her that way."

"No, you just saw me as a servant," Kyouko said under her breath.

"How long are you going to hold that against me?" Shou growled.

"They were your own words," she said. "If you didn't want me to hold them against you, you shouldn't have said them."

"I didn't think you'd ever hear them!" he shouted.

Shou was red, whether from anger or embarrassment, was unclear. Kyouko looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion.

"So what's the final verdict?" Ren asked, derailing the current line of the conversation.

"I'm not calling her my sister," Shou said, eyes still locked with Kyouko's.

"Alright," Chiaki said with a sigh, "We'll just have to be prepared for the questions that are sure to come."

"Fine," Shou said.

Chiaki spent the next half an hour drilling them about all past sightings of Shou and Kyouko which had recently appeared in the media. Shou had been an irritated little brat for the entire meeting, but when he was answering the questions, he turned on the charm and behaved in his usual interview manner, even flirting with Chiaki as she asked the questions.

"Very good," she said, smiling as they finished her set of sample questions, "but I would suggest a little more practice. Kyouko, you should be a little firmer when you answer. If you falter, the press will think you're hiding something."

Kyouko nodded, taking in Chiaki's advice while Shou smirked triumphantly.

"And, Fuwa-kun," Chiaki said, turning to him, "you should keep in mind that you won't always be interviewed by a woman, so flirting won't always work. You'll have make that charm of yours more universally appealing."

Shou huffed and rolled his eyes while Kyouko fought to keep her burst of laughter inaudible.

The next segment of their practice returned the atmosphere to its previous level of tension. They were practicing the interview questions about Ren and Kyouko's relationship. The plan was to do an interview with the three young people together, but if today's practice didn't go well, they might have to scrap it and stick to the slower plan of denying the rumors about Shou individually. That however, would take longer and be less convincing. It seemed though, that it may be the only choice.

"How long have the two of you been dating?" Chiaki asked.

Kyouko answered while Ren sat at her side, smiling and possessively draping an arm over her shoulders.

Shou glared at the couple with an expression of disgust and open hostility.

Chiaki sighed and glanced at the boy.

"Fuwa-kun, you won't convince your audience that you are not a jilted lover with that expression on your face," she warned.

Shou scoffed, but reduced his angry glare to a bored gaze.

Ren pulled Kyouko slightly closer to his side and a vein began to throb on Shou's forehead.

Chiaki rolled her eyes and went back to asking questions.

She repeated many of the old standbys, who confessed to whom, how long had they had feelings for one another, the circumstances of the famous photograph.

Kyouko managed to explain the photograph without her horrendous blunder, but when Chiaki began to ask some of the newer, racier questions, she began to flush and falter.

"What is it like kissing the number one actor in Japan?" Chiaki asked.

"Ah, um, well, actually, we…um…we—" Kyouko attempted to answer, blood rising to her cheeks.

"We are taking things slowly," Ren said, stepping in, "so we haven't kissed yet."

Shou's head snapped up with a wicked smirk on his face.

"How can you resist kissing Tsuruga Ren?" Chiaki asked, again directing her questions to the incoherent girl. She would have to get used to these sorts of questions is she was going to date a celebrity, let alone continue her own skyrocketing ascent to fame.

"Ah, um, well, th— this is my first relationship, so…"

"Really?" Chiaki asked. "That's surprising to hear from such a lovely girl, but then you are still quite young. You are still a minor, aren't you?"

Kyouko answered in the affirmative.

"Is that why you're taking things so slowly?" Chiaki asked.

"Um, well—"

"Maybe her boyfriend just doesn't find her attractive," Shou said under his breath.

Kyouko blanched, frozen in place. Ren's expression began to morph into something more terrifying than B.J. Striker, but it was Chiaki who brought the boy back in line.

"_That_ was unacceptable behavior," she said standing and facing him, "which will not be permitted now, or in an interview. If you would like the opportunity to salvage your reputation, you will apologize and act with the same professionalism which you show toward your music. Otherwise, you will apologize and leave."

Unmoving, Shou rolled his eyes.

"Which will it be, Fuwa-kun?" She asked, smiling pleasantly, as if she was offering him coffee or tea.

"Shou," Shouko pleaded.

"My bad," Shou said, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

Everyone knew that was the best they would get from him. It was a miracle that the spoiled brat had apologized in any manner. They would have to wait and see if he could prove himself through his behavior before committing to an interview with him.

Chiaki took her seat and resumed the interview as if nothing had happened.

"The reason you are taking things so slowly was?" Chiaki said, prompting Kyouko.

"Um," Kyouko began again.

"If I may, Toda-san, I would like to answer," Ren said.

"By all means," she said with a smile.

"The reason we are taking things slowly," he said with a glance at Shou, "is that we intend for this relationship to last. We have forever, so there's no need to rush things."

Ren ended with an adoring smile directed at the girl he loved.

She blushed brightly, and even Chiaki's and Shouko's faces were tinged with pink.

Chiaki cleared her throat.

"You say 'forever,' Tsuruga-san," Chiaki said. "That sounds very much like a marriage proposal. Do you plan to marry Kyouko?"

Ren chuckled. "As I said, Toda-san, we have plenty of time, so there's no need to rush, and Kyouko is still a minor, but I believe that marriage is generally the goal in serious relationships."

"And are you serious about this relationship?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes," Ren said.

Kyouko blushed and turned to hide her face against Ren's shoulder.

The other women in the room were also blushing, and President Takarada was smiling brightly enough to blind Helios, god of the sun, himself.

Their attention was all shifted however, as Shou stood, toppled his chair to the floor and exited the room with a slam of the door.

"I'll go after him," Shouko said, hastily following.

A few minutes later, she returned to apologize and gather her things. Shou would not be rejoining their practice, nor would he join them for their interview.

Kyouko sighed. She'd expected Shou's attitude to anger her, like usual, but somehow, she just felt sorry for him. His cruelty had been intentional. He was covering up for something.

She was confused, at feeling sympathy for the man she'd sworn revenge against, but as she turned to the man who loved her, the woman who'd defended her, and the man who'd given her a chance when she'd been at her worst, she realized why she was feeling that way. She was more fortunate than Shou ever had been or probably ever would be.

"Ah, well, back to practice?" Chiaki asked.

Everyone agreed.

"Tsuruga-san says that he is serious about this relationship," Chiaki said. "Are you?"

"Yes," Kyouko answered, without hesitation. "I am."

**AN: I surprised myself with this chapter. I have the main idea of the story planned out, but not the exact way to get there, so sometimes the characters do unexpected things... Oh well! Hope you enjoyed it :) Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	47. Chapter 47 Sunshine After Rain

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"I think," Chiaki said with a smile, "you're ready for your real interview."

Kyouko blanched.

"Don't worry," Chiaki said with a giggle. "It's not like it will be tomorrow. I'll still give you sample questions and keep coaching you until the actual interview, but aside from some minor stumbles, you did extremely well. You answered everything in a professional but sincere manner, you worked together and really showed the strength of your relationship."

Kyouko went from white to red.

"Thank you," she said, bowing to show her gratitude.

She had no idea a simple interview could reveal so much. She'd thought all the information about their relationship would come from the answers they provided, not their interactions. She felt somehow that this had all been a test. She didn't regret it though. She was fairly sure she had passed.

"Not at all," Chiaki said, "It has been a pleasure to work with you two."

The President rose, giant grin still plastered to his face.

"Well, lovebirds," he said, "as the meeting has ended rather sooner than anticipated, why don't you two go have a date?"

Ren smiled at Kyouko.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"Ah, um, is it really alright?" she asked, glancing between her boyfriend and The President.

"Of course it's alright," The President said. "Now off with you. You two both work too hard. You deserve a little alone time."

The way The President had said 'alone time' made Kyouko blush, but she thanked him and she and Ren both said goodbye and headed out the door.

The President stared after them with a dreamy smile.

"If they can answer like than in an interview, the rumors about Mogami-kun and Fuwa-kun will be blasted out of the water. Though," he added with a chuckle, "they may cause some new rumors about their impending marriage."

Chiaki returned the smile.

"They'll be able to answer like that," she said confidently. "Though their marriage won't be _that_ soon, unless Kyouko-san gets parental consent."

The President momentarily frowned. That wasn't likely. But then, perhaps that was a good thing. Ren may have kidnapped her and taken her to a courthouse by now otherwise, and both she and Ren still had some growing to do when it came to love.

Well, at least they were on the right track now. Perhaps, he would let things happen without interference from now on…unless they took too long…

"Well, Toda-san," he said, coming out of his thoughts, "what do you say I treat my best press agent to lunch."

"I would be honored," she said with a smile.

* * *

><p>For once, Kyouko was grateful for Shou's volatile behavior. As they had had no idea how long the meeting with him would take, when he would show up, or if he would cooperate, Kyouko's and Ren's schedules had been entirely cleared for the day. With only the meeting on the agenda, and the meeting over, they were free to do as they pleased.<p>

Kyouko couldn't keep the smile off her face as she and Ren drove around with no particular destination in mind.

Ren couldn't seem to stop grinning either.

"I hope that smile is for me," he said, glancing at the girl in the passenger seat.

"No, well, um, yes, partly," Kyouko said, flushing slightly, smile never faltering. "I was just thinking, I'm really happy right now."

"Oh?" Ren asked.

"I feel like I'm finally free. I can pursue my career, my relationship," she blushed, "do whatever I want without thinking about how it will affect Shou or whether it will further my goal for revenge."

"Good," Ren said. "I would hate to think you were dating me as just another means of revenge."

Kyouko missed his smirk and went into a wild rant of denials.

"Eh? No! I would never do that! I entered the entertainment industry for revenge, but after I met you, that all changed. I would never ever use you like that. I respect you way too much for that. I'm not with you for revenge. I'm with you because I love you!"

Ren pulled the car over to the side of the road and Kyouko wondered if she'd done something wrong. Had she not made things clear enough? She felt like her face was about to burst into flames, but she would continue talking until it actually did if that was what it took to make him believe her.

"D—did I say something wrong?" she asked, timidly.

They were parked now, and Ren's face was buried in his arms over the steering wheel, so she couldn't see his expression.

"No," he mumbled from atop his folded arms. He then peeked up at her, revealing an embarrassed smile and a deep blush covering his entire face. "You said something extremely right."

Kyouko mirrored his blush at the utterance.

He righted himself in his seat and turned to her.

"That was the first time you've said you loved me," he said, beaming.

"Eh? I didn't say it before?" she asked.

It seemed like Ren was always telling her he loved her. It had made her nervous at first. Ok, nervous was an understatement. It had terrified her. But the more he said it, the more she believed it. Now every time he said it, it felt like her heart was overflowing. She wondered if she could do that for him.

"You didn't," he said.

"Eh? I'm so sorry! I didn't even realize, and it's been out of my vocabulary for so long, I— I guess I just forgot how to use it. I— I would have— I didn't mean to—"  
>"It's alright, Kyouko. I didn't want to push you," he said. "I'm just happy that you said it."<p>

"Me too," she said, blushing and looking away.

"Kyouko," he said, his voice caressing her even as he reached toward her face to do the same with his hand, "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, softly, looking into his eyes.

She thought her heart might really be in danger of exploding, but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

Ren leaned in until he was mere inches from her face.

"May I?" he asked.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded and closed her eyes.

She felt the lightest and gentlest of touches as his lips brushed hers. It couldn't have lasted more than a second, and he hadn't done anything more than touch his lips to hers, but somehow she knew she had gotten the best first kiss ever.

Ren pulled back and searched Kyouko's face. He internally sighed in relief when he didn't find even a trace of fear in her expression, just an extremely adorable blush and a little smile.

His relief was dashed however, when Kyouko's eyes shot open wide and she hit her forehead with her palm.

"What's wrong?" he asked, panicking.

She lowered her hand from her face to reveal an embarrassed smile.

"Nothing," she said, with a laugh, "I was just thinking, how am I supposed to answer the kiss question now?"

**AN: Here, have some cotton candy covered kittens frolicking through fields of daisies under a rainbow ;) Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	48. Chapter 48 The Benefits of Obliviousness

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

He couldn't stop smiling. Kyouko couldn't stop blushing. Every time he glanced her way, a little crimson would creep onto her cheeks. Even the presence of that overly familiar puppy, Ryou couldn't irritate him today. And it seemed that the boy had gotten the picture. Ren only caught him glancing adoringly at Kyouko a few times and from across set. The girl remained completely oblivious, a characteristic he never expected to be thankful for. The only time he or Kyouko were able to school their expressions was when the camera was rolling.

Their real feelings were helpful for the scenes they would be shooting today. Today, Tasuke would discover the real meaning of his feelings for Rika. He would realize that they were not merely the protective feelings of an older brother, but the feelings of a man in love.

Rika's feelings would also come into play in the scene. The previous scene would show Rika crying over Tasuke's apparent lack of feelings for her, but Tasuke would only see her flirting with her boyfriend in the next scene, unaware that she was using the boy to make him jealous.

* * *

><p>Tasuke was going over case files at his dining room table. The seat was in front of a large window with a clear view of Rika's front yard, giving him the perfect vantage point to see Hajime walking up to Rika's front gate. He immediately tensed.<p>

"Andou-kun! You came!" Rika said, bounding out of her front door and running up to the boy. She smiled up at him and the boy blushed.

Tasuke suddenly found that some fresh air sounded like a good idea, so he walked onto his front porch, carrying a case file that he wasn't reading.

Rika opened the gate and motioned for Hajime to come in. She glanced next door and caught Tasuke glancing over.

"Why don't we sit on the porch," she suggested. "It's sunny today."

Hajime agreed and sat waiting at a small table for Rika to return with something to drink.

Rika flirted with Hajime, knowing Tasuke was watching.

The folder in his hand became steadily more wrinkled as his grip on the paper tightened.

Hajime reached across the table and tucked a stray strand of hair from Rika's face.

Tasuke stood abruptly, walked back into his house and slammed the door.

The director called cut and reviewed the footage.

* * *

><p>Kyouko stat at the table across from Ryou, in a daze as she waited for the director's verdict. It had been a bit harder to hang onto her character today. It helped that Ren was acting her love interest, but though her mind understood Rika's actions, Kyouko could never fathom trying such things herself. She would never want to make the one she loved jealous.<p>

"Um, Kyouko-san," Ryou said, glancing around, as if checking to make sure that someone was not present. "I um, I wanted to apologize…for the other day."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked, "What for?"

The boy blushed.

"Well, um, you see, when I got offered the job here, I was really excited to work with you," he said.

"Thank you," Kyouko said with a blush, "It has been a pleasure working with you too, but that's not something to feel sorry for, is it?"

"No, um, it's that, when I accepted the job, um, there was that rumor about you and Tsuruga-san," he said.

Kyouko blushed.

"Well, um, I heard from the staff that it was a misunderstanding, so um, I didn't realize you were dating him until later," he said.

Kyouko blushed.

"I mean, I guess I should have known that a girl like you would already have a boyfriend, but um…" He was blushing bright red. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I caused any misunderstanding between you and Tsuruga-san. I still really admire you as an actress, so if we could be friends, that would be great, but um, I won't hit on you anymore."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked in shock, her face coloring to match his. "You were hitting on me?"

All eyes turned to them, the director, the camera crew, and Ren, who had been waiting back in Tasuke's house.

The boy blushed furiously, burying his very red face in his hands to hide his embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry!" Kyouko said, horribly dismayed. "I had absolutely no idea."

He peeked from behind his fingers.

"No, it's fine," he said. "Please just forget I ever said anything."

"Eh? But that was horribly insensitive of me!" Kyouko said.

"No, really. If you'd just pretend I never mentioned it, I would really appreciate it," he said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Very."

"Um, o—ok," she agreed.

The director grinned. He had finished reviewing the footage just about the time Kyouko had revealed the poor boy's feelings to the entire studio, but they were ahead of schedule, as was becoming the norm, so he let them finish their conversation.

"Alright, next scene," he called, as the two finished up.

He was glad that they were done with the majority of Ryou's scenes. He doubted if the boy's stained cheeks would lose their color today.

* * *

><p>The rest of the scenes went quite well, despite both Ryou's and Kyouko's embarrassed demeanor between scenes. Ren could now forgive the boy his crush on Kyouko. He even felt a bit sorry for him, knowing what it was like to be on the other end of Kyouko's obliviousness. Kyouko loved him, that was enough to make him feel like he could forgive almost anyone in the world today, even overly meddlesome managers.<p>

Yashiro walked up to Ren and handed him a bottle of water. Kyouko had gone to change, so the older man was bound to try and tease him.

"Just say it," Ren said with a grin.

"What?" Yashiro asked.

"Whatever teasing comment you were going to say," Ren replied.

"Me? Tease?" Yashiro asked. "I only try to help."

"Sure," Ren said sarcastically. "Why don't you just tell me what you were going to say and I'll be the judge of that."

"It was merely an observation," Yashiro said.

"Oh?" Ren asked.

"I was just thinking how unfortunate Shirota-kun is," Yashiro said. "At least when Kyouko-chan shot you down before, it was always subtle."

Ren sighed. She hadn't _always_ been subtle, but Yashiro didn't need to know about that.

"He is indeed unfortunate," Ren said, refusing to take the bait. He couldn't help teasing his manager back. "He fell for a girl who already loves someone else."

"Eh?" Yashiro squealed, eyes sparkling. "Did Kyouko-chan say she loves you? When? What happened?"

Ren took a sip of his water.

"You're so unfair!" Yashiro whined. "I just want to help."

"Things are going fine, Yashiro," Ren said with a smile. "I'll take it from here."

**AN: I have a buddy date with crappy Chinese food and Disney tonight, so I had to be a good little girl and write this before work ;) Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I do read them, enjoy them, intend to reply to them, but then I get busy :( ****I'll try, but it won't be tonight... Still, thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	49. Chapter 49 Lunch and a Panic Attack

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Lovers Caught in Roadside Tryst," Kanae read, trying not to laugh. She set the article back on the table between them and the girl sitting in front of her pouted.

Kyouko glared from over her lunch menu.

"It's not funny," Kyouko said. "It's embarrassing."

"I don't know. I think it's pretty funny. You'd think they could have come up with a more appropriate title, like 'Lovers' Heads Get Really Close Together," she said.

"I—it was a kiss," Kyouko admitted.

"I know, I know," Kanae said, "but I think they're really getting desperate for stories about you two. You can't even see if you're touching from the angle they got, but they go and give it a title that makes it sound like some sordid love affair, when really it's just a peck on the lips."

Kyouko blushed again, recalling the kiss. Sure, it had been light and very brief, but she would hardly call it a peck. That made it sound like a bird had attacked her lips. It had been anything but a rabid animal attack. She had experienced one of those, and this was completely different. Ren's lips had been warm and soft, his touch gentle.

"You're remembering it aren't you?" Kanae asked, rolling her eyes.

"Eh? No I was just— yes," she admitted.

Kanae snorted.

"Mou! Why are you even still here?" she asked.

"Eh? Mouko-san, do you want me to leave?" Kyouko asked, tears forming in her eyes.

"What? No, I just meant, aren't we supposed to be here to regain our missing emotion? Isn't it kind of obvious you're already there?" Kanae asked.

"Um, I don't know," Kyouko said. "President Takarada hasn't said anything about me leaving LoveMe."

"Does that mean we're all going to be stuck here forever?" Kanae asked.

"Mouko-san, do you want to leave?" she asked, tearing up again.

"Mou! Didn't I already say you'd be the first to leave?" Kanae asked. "Don't act like I'm abandoning you. Jeez!"

"Then you won't leave?" Kyouko asked.

"It doesn't matter," Kanae said. "You leave, I leave, it's not like we're going to stop being friends just because one of us graduates from LoveMe."

"Really?" Kyouko asked, perking up.

"What, were you planning on ignoring me after you left?" Kanae asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"What? No! of course not!" Kyouko said, launching herself across the table at her friend and wrapping her arms tightly around her before she was able to escape. She very narrowly escaped knocking over both their water glasses.

Kanae struggled in vain.

"You'll always be my best friend, Mouko-san!" Kyouko said with a squeeze. "No matter what!"

"You won't have a best friend if you squeeze me to death," Kanae warned breathlessly.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Mouko-san," Kyouko said, releasing her and resuming her seat.

Kanae rubbed a hand over her strained ribs.

"So you're not going to quit bugging me even though you have a boyfriend you can attack instead?" Kanae said, voice sounding deceptively irritated.

"Eh? No! I will never abandon you, Mouko-san, even if we're no longer tied together by the pink curse!" She blushed brightly, "And I could never try something like that on Ren."

She had never once considered launching herself at Ren the way she did at Kanae. She could hug her best friend without hesitation, but the thought of running up to Ren and wrapping her arms around him caused so much blood to rush to her face that she could no longer feel the rest of her body.

Kanae gave a satisfied smirk.

"I suppose it can't be helped," Kanae said, "but don't hug me so tight. You're going to bruise an actress's body."

"I'm sorry, Mouko-san," Kyouko said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's fine already," Kanae said, "Just don't do it again."

"Alright," Kyouko said beaming.

Kanae gave another look at the article and laughed.

"What?" Kyouko said.

"Just thinking that some people have a lot of patience," she said.

"I know!" Kyouko said. "Those photographers must be super human. It's like they wait around all day, just on the off chance they'll get something."

Kanae rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of patient people," Kanae said, "Where is Tsuruga-san today? Working?"

"Ah, he had a photo shoot and then more filming for _Selling_," Kyouko said.

"Aren't you doing that together?" Kanae asked.

"Ah, well, he's still the main character after all, and there are a lot of action scenes where Rika isn't involved," Kyouko explained.

The waitress brought the food they ordered earlier, a salad with fat free vinaigrette for Kanae and a pasta dish for Kyouko.

"Mouko-san, you don't eat enough," Kyouko said, worriedly.

"I'm eating light now because I know I'll end up eating something unhealthy later," Kanae said. "You always end up talking me into ice cream or some other calorie bomb."

"But you have such a perfect figure, Mouko-san," Kyouko said. "You really don't need to be so careful."

"It's like this because I am careful," Kanae said, spearing some lettuce with her fork.

Kyouko sighed. This was why she always had to get Kanae to eat more. She took a bite of her pasta and wondered if Ren was ignoring the food pyramid too.

* * *

><p>"Ren, if you don't eat your lunch properly, Kyouko will scold me later," Yashiro said as Ren picked over his bentou on set.<p>

"Why would she scold you?" Ren asked.

"Because, she charged me with making sure you eat healthily when she's not around," Yashiro said. "At least Kyouko-chan trusts me with things."

Ren rolled his eyes. Yashiro had been pouting ever since he saw the article on the news stand that morning. He had squealed with delight at the grainy image of Ren and Kyouko sitting in his car, the top of Kyouko's face just visible behind Ren's head as he leaned in to kiss her. When the excitement had worn off however, Yashiro had been upset.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Yashiro had asked. "I've been rooting for you two all along."

"Did you want me to call you as soon as I dropped Kyouko off and tell you that we kissed?" Ren asked sardonically.

Yashiro had nodded eagerly.

His manager really was like a teenage girl sometimes.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Yashiro," Ren explained, for— he had lost track of how many times, " And I am grateful for your support. I'm just not going to give you a play by play of everything that goes on between us. Don't you think Kyouko would be embarrassed?"

"She probably tells Kotonami-san," Yashiro pouted.

Ren sighed and finished the last of his lunch.

"There, you can tell her I ate properly," he said.

"Fine," Yashiro said. "I understand."

"Thanks, Yashiro," Ren said offering him a smile before he went off to changed for the next scene.

"Hello," Yashiro answered, quickly grabbing a glove and picking up his phone.

* * *

><p>"Hello," Kyouko answered.<p>

She paused as the voice on the other line spoke.

"Yes?" she asked.

Kyouko's face went pale.

"Um, but what about—"

The speaker cut her off.

"Y— yes. I understand. I'll be there," she said, and hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Kanae asked, halfway through the dessert Kyouko had talked her into ordering.

"We're doing the interview tomorrow," Kyouko said.

"Is that so horrible?"Kanae asked.

"No. It's not that, but I might not have a boyfriend by the time I'm supposed to do the interview with him," she said, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

* * *

><p>When Ren finished his scenes for the day, his manager stepped forward and offered him a bottle of water.<p>

"Thanks," he said, taking the beverage.

Yashiro stared at him, smirking wickedly.

"Something the matter?" Ren asked.

"Oh, nothing," Yashiro said. "Just thinking, Kyouko-chan sure has cared about you for a long time."

"I'm not answering any more questions," Ren said.

"I wasn't asking," he said. "In fact, I was going to tell you something interesting, but never mind."

Ren shrugged. This was obviously a new tactic to gain information, and he wasn't going to fall for it.

"It involves Kyouko-chan," Yashiro said, hoping to entice him.

"With you, it's always about Kyouko," Ren said.

"You'll want to hear this," he said. "It seems Kyouko-chan is actually—"

He glanced down at the name on his ringing phone.

"Speak of the devil," he said, then picking up his phone, "Hi Kyouko-chan, what's— Wait, slow down are you ok?"

"She'll be fine," Kanae said, taking the phone from her, just as Ren took Yashiro's phone from him.

"What's wrong? Where are you?" He asked.

"Tsuruga-san?" Kanae asked.

"Kotonami-san? What's wrong? Is Kyouko alright?" he asked.

"She's fine," Kanae said, "She just inhaled some water. Can you put your manager back on the line? She had a question for him."

"Are you sure she's alright?" Ren asked.

"Relax, lover boy," Kanae said, "she's fine. She just needs to talk to your manager."

Ren reluctantly handed Yashiro back the phone. "It's for you."

"Well it _is_ my phone," he said, taking back the device. "Hello? Kyouko-chan?"

His manager listened for a few moments, occasionally glancing at Ren.

"Alright, I've got it. I won't say anything, so don't worry," he said, smirking at Ren. "Alright, see you tomorrow Kyouko-chan."

"What was that about," Ren asked.

"Oh, just some little details about tomorrow." Yashiro said. "The President called to have me rearrange yours and Kyouko-chan's schedules. You're doing the interview tomorrow."

Somehow, Ren didn't entirely trust Yashiro's words.

**AN: There! Slightly longer than recent chapters :) Thanks for Reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D Now, off to go and answer some.**


	50. Chapter 50 Her Secret

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Mou! Calm down!" Kanae said, glancing around as she wiped tears from her friend's eyes with a napkin, "It's all taken care of. He's not going to say anything, so stop crying already. People are watching."

"I'm sorry, Mouko-san," Kyouko said, a few fresh tears plopping onto her cheeks. "But, what if he finds out? He'll never want to talk to me again!"

"Jeez! Is it really such a big deal?" Kanae asked. "He loves you. He's not going to break up with you just because you're—"

Kyouko frantically reached up and placed a palm over Kanae's mouth. The girl glared at her and she removed it.

"Sorry, Mouko-san," she said. "I just don't want anyone to—"

"I know, I know," she said, "but really, you can't keep secrets forever. They always come out eventually, and even though it's really not anywhere near as big a deal as you're making it out to be, don't you think it'd be better if he heard it from you?"

"I— I guess you're right," Kyouko said.

"Of course I'm right," Kanae said.

"But what if he hates me?" Kyouko asked.

Kanae sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"M—mouko-san?" Kyouko said.

"Do you have any idea just how dense you can be?" Kanae asked. "Do you really think he's such a petty guy? Is that why you respect him so much? You think he'd seriously break up with you over something stupid like that?"

"N—no, I don't think he's petty, but— I— I betrayed his trust," she said, eyes welling up with tears again. "He told me things about himself, about his feelings, not knowing it was me he was talking to."

Kanae sighed.

"Would you break up with him if he did that to you?" Kanae asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked, titling her head in confusion.

Kanae sighed.

"Ok, say he was disguised somehow, so you didn't know it was him—"

"I would recognize him," Kyouko said. She had recognized him as Cain Heel, after all.

"Say it's a really convincing disguise, like a giant chicken suit," Kanae said.

"That would have to be a _really_ big chicken suit," Kyouko said. Ren was too tall to fit into any mascot costume she'd ever seen.

Kanae rolled her eyes. "Whatever, that's why this is hypothetical. Pretend he's shrunken down to child size and in a chicken suit."

Kyouko laughed.

"So, mini-chicken-suit-wearing-Tsuruga-san, talks to you about something that makes you feel sad, trying to help you and cheer you up. You tell him about your feelings. He makes you feel better. Later, you discover he was Tsuruga-san all along. What do you do?" Kanae asked.

Kyouko's brows furrowed as she considered the question.

"Would you break up with him?" Kanae asked.

"Eh? No! Of course not!" she said.

"Even though he didn't tell you who he was from the beginning?"she asked.

"W—well, it's not like he was doing it to be mean," Kyouko said. "If he listened to me and tried to make me feel better, I'd be happy to know that he cared."

"See?" Kanae said.

"See what?" Kyouko asked.

Kanae rolled her eyes.

"Check please," she said, flagging down the waitress.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

><p>Ren eyed Yashiro suspiciously as he drove them back to LME. His manager kept smirking and making offhand comments about how lucky Ren was to have such a caring girlfriend. He was baiting Ren, trying to make him curious, but he would never give away the secret. Ren wouldn't ask anyway.<p>

"Kyouko-chan really is such a good girl," Yashiro said with a sigh.

"So you keep saying," Ren said.

"Well, she is," Yashiro said, grinning widely.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a crush on her," Ren said.

"Eh? No! I don't! I swear! I only see Kyouko-chan as a little sister. I've always always been rooting for you two. I'm just happy that she makes you happy!" Yashiro explained desperately.

"Relax, Yashiro," Ren said with a smirk, "That's why I said 'If I didn't know better.'"

Yashiro let out a sigh of relief.

"But, you can still stop making all those comments," Ren said. "I am fully aware of how wonderful Kyouko is whether you remind me or not."

Yashiro grinned and remained silent for the rest of the ride.

* * *

><p>"We're a little early," Yashiro said, checking the time as they arrived. They had twenty minutes until they were supposed to meet Kyouko for their final meeting with Chiaki before their interview. The girl was nowhere to be seen. "Maybe Kyouko-chan is still with Kotonami-san. Shall we check the LoveMe room?"<p>

Ren agreed, and they went off in search of Kyouko. Normally, he would have stayed put and waited for her to arrive, but the earlier phone call had him worried. He was not convinced that Kyouko's upset had merely been a case of water down the wrong pipe, or that her call had been for minor details about tomorrow.

They arrived outside the LoveMe room to hear the girls conversing within.

"So, if you wouldn't break up with him over something like that, he certainly wouldn't break up with you," Kanae explained, a slight edge to her patient tone. "Do you finally get it?"

"Um, I— I think so," Kyouko said.

Kanae sighed.

"Well, I don't know how to explain it anymore, so you'll just have to tell him and find out his reaction for yourself," she said.

Yashiro knocked on the door, pulling a startled squeak from Kyouko and a harsh, "Come in," from Kanae.

"Hello, ladies," he said with a smile. "We arrived early and were just wondering it Kyouko-chan might be ready for the practice session."

Kanae looked at Kyouko and the girl nodded.

"I'm ready," she said, then turning back to Kanae, "Thanks for today, Mouko-san."

"Mou! Go to your meeting," Kanae said.

Kyouko gave her a smile and stepped into the hallway with the two men.

Ren looked her over and noticed that her eyes were red. That certainly wasn't from inhaling water, and from the little bit he'd overheard of the conversation between Kyouko and Kanae, she was worried that he would break up with her.

The fact that she had cried and he had likely been the cause broke his heart a little, but, it also gave him an increased sense of importance. He felt guilty for being happy over her tears, but it was nice to know that she cared about him enough to cry at the idea of him breaking up with her.

"Hi," Ren greeted her.

"H—hello," she said, unable to meet his eyes.

"Ah, don't forget your meeting you two," Yashiro called, walking away. "I've got a lot of paperwork to do for tomorrow, so I'll be going now."

Ren and Kyouko both narrowed their eyes in suspicion, but let the man go without further questions.

As soon as Yashiro was out of sight, Ren turned to Kyouko and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him.

"What happened?" he asked, concern eyes and voice.

"N—nothing. Why do you ask?" Kyouko asked, trying to turn her face away.

"You've been crying," Ren said. "Your eyes are red."

"Th— they are?" she asked.

"Can't you tell me what's wrong, Kyouko?" he asked, moving his hand off of her chin to caress her cheek.

Kyouko closed her eyes and turned away from his hand.

Had he done something to make her hate him? Did she regret the kiss? She'd seemed fine when he'd driven her to LME this morning. The words he'd overheard flashed through his mind again and he gathered strength. She was not trying to break up with him. She was worried that he would break up with her. She still loved him.

"Are you nervous about the interview? Is that it?" he asked.

"N—no. Well, yes, but— that's not—" she looked away.

"Kyouko, you can tell me anything," he said. "I will always love you."

Kyouko blushed and a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

He gathered the girl into his arms and held her.

"No matter what," he said.

Kyouko timidly reach her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath before pulling back and looking up into his eyes.

"Can—can we talk after the interview practice?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, wiping the escaped tear from her eye.

"Ok," she said, giving him a little smile. "I—I'll tell you then."

Ren returned the smile, took her hand, and they went to their meeting. The sooner they got it over with, the sooner she would tell him what was wrong and he could prove that there was nothing she could do to make him stop loving her.

He would not abandon her the way others had.

**AN: Days off=sleeping in late and posting early :D Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I've been writing since I woke up, so I'm going to go become human and then I'll try to answer some more reviews. I think I'm pretty much caught up, but if I missed you sorry! Bug me and I'll try to get back to you :D Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	51. Chapter 51 Her Confession

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko and Ren had been left alone in the room. After several very awkward exchanges of question and answer and injunctions to relax and just behave like they had during the previous practice, Chiaki gave up and said she was going on a coffee break.

"It's important that there's no awkwardness between the two of you during the actual interview," she'd said. "It's ok to be nervous. The audience will probably find it endearing even, but you can't act like you have a gulf between you. I'm going to go get a cup of coffee. Call me once you've worked it out."

Kyouko had blushed bright red. She prided herself on her acting abilities, but apparently, when it came to the idea of losing Ren, it was too scary to forget. Maybe if she'd been playing a part she could have pulled it off, but not as herself.

Chiaki had given them an indulgent smile and slipped out if the room.

When Kyouko turned back from apologizing an sending Chiaki off, Ren was close at hand.

"I guess we're talking about it now, aren't we?" he said, offering a reassuring smile.

"Um, I— I guess we are," she said.

They both resumed their seats, and Kyouko took some deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. When she was finally ready, or as close as she could get to ready, she looked up and found Ren gently smiling at her. It almost made it worse, as that smile was added to the list of things she was afraid of losing.

"Will you tell me why you were crying today?" he asked.

"I— I betrayed you," Kyouko said, fresh tears forming in her eyes.

Ren stiffened. He examined Kyouko's face. She wouldn't look at him. She was staring at her hands. He tried to calm himself, reminding himself that this was Kyouko, and therefore her use of the word 'betrayed,' was probably an exaggeration. Still, he had to take a deep breath to steady his voice before asking, "How so?"

"I lied to you," Kyouko said, a tear escaping from one eye. "I let you believe I was someone else, let you tell me your secrets, tell me about your feelings, I even sought you out so you would rely on me, without ever telling you who I was."

Ren almost choked. Was she bating him, trying to get him to admit his own crimes?

"I'm not sure I understand," he said.

Kyouko looked up at him with wide teary eyes and a quivering lip, and he had to remind himself that pulling her into his arms and kissing it all better would probably not help. He reigned in his desires and waited for her explanation.

"I— I'm Bo!" she cried, bursting into tears and throwing herself to the floor at his feet. "I never meant to take advantage of you, or make you tell me things that you didn't want me to know, but you hated me so much at first that you would never have talked to me if I'd offered to help as myself, and when I met you as Bo, you were actually nice to me and let me help you, and you seemed to be able to tell things to Bo that you couldn't tell other people, and I just wanted to soothe your feelings, especially when the mess with Dark Moon was going on, because you seemed so upset and there was nothing I could do. I mean who would want to talk to a little newbie upstart actress and a kohai about their problems? Well, I really don't know who would want to talk to a chicken either, but somehow it seemed to help so I just thought that if I—"

"Wait, stop," Ren said, brain finally catching up with at least a few of the key words of Kyouko's long speech. He pulled her back up into her seat and asked, "You— you're telling me that you were Bo?"

Kyouko nodded.

"Are you still Bo?" he asked.

She nodded again.

Ren began to laugh. It may have been a mortifying revelation before she'd accepted him. He had, after all, told Kyouko, the girl he loved, about the girl he loved, about never having been in love, about her being the first girl he really cared about, about him not being allowed to love. Given all the information he'd told her about herself, it was quite amazing that she hadn't figured it out before he'd confessed to her. But then again, she was LoveMe member number one. He laughed even harder as he realized that he had taken love advice from LoveMe number one.

He finally stopped laughing and smiled as he had another realization.

"You know, even when I don't know it's you, you destroy all my facades," he said, smiling at her. "I can't help but be myself when you're with me."

Kyouko looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"Y—you're not angry?" she asked.

"No," he said with a smile. "Did I miss something?"

"Eh?" she asked.

"All I heard was that you wanted to help me," he said. "Why, is there something about you wanting to help me that should make me angry?"

"B—but I lied to you," she said. "I didn't tell you who I was and let you tell me such personal things about yourself."

Ren bit back his own guilt. He had done the same thing.

"Do you want me to tell them to you now?" he asked.

"Eh?" she asked.

"Kyouko, you are the first girl I've ever really loved. Even though I had no intention of falling in love, even though I'm scared that I might hurt you someday, I couldn't help loving you." He calmed the intensity of his gaze before smirking and adding, "I almost forgot to mention, you are four years younger than me and in high school."

"Y—you forgot about the 'tentekomai' thing," Kyouko said, blushing.

Ren laughed.

"Oh, and you're the one who taught me the meaning of 'tentekomai,'" he said, "moving around busily with no time to rest. See? I remember."

Kyouko laughed.

He reached out and wiped the remaining tears from her face.

"Don't do this again," he said softly.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I won't lie to you anymore."

"Though I'd like to hope you won't feel the need to lie to me again, that's not what I meant," he said, smiling. "I meant, don't go off and cry without me. I will always do my best to stop your tears, so come to me."

Kyouko blushed.

"I thought you would hate me," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Kyouko, there are a lot of things you make me feel," he said. "You make me feel like the happiest man in the world. You turn me into a nervous wreck. You make me feel excited, terrified, at peace, insane, but there is one thing you I will never feel for you, and that is hatred."

Kyouko turned her bright red face toward her clasped hands.

He reached out and took them in his own.

"Do you believe me?" he asked.

"B—but what about when we first met?" she asked.

Ren's mind flew back to the six year old Kyouko in the little clearing in Kyoto, and he had to quickly pull it forward to the sixteen year old Kyouko trying to convince Sawara-san to let her join LME.

"I certainly didn't like your motives, but I didn't hate you," he said. "I will never hate you, so will you promise to come to me from now on?"

"B—but coming to you about every little thing is a little…"

"You won't let me comfort you?" he asked, giving her his puppy dog eyes.

"Won't it bother you?" she asked.

"What bothers me more is knowing that you're hurting and I'm not doing anything to make it better," he said.

"O—oh," she said, blushing yet again.

"So will you promise?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Good," he said, leaning close and reaching out to caress a now tear-free cheek.

They both jerked back when they heard the sound of exaggerated throat clearing. Chiaki stood in the doorway with a steaming cup of coffee.

"Did you forget to call me?" she asked. "It looks like you talked things out."

"Yes," Ren said, smiling radiantly. "Everything is fine now."

Kyouko blushed ever brighter, but gave a corroborating nod.

"Good," Chiaki said, with a smile that suggested she was trying to hold back a laugh. "Let's keep it that way between now and your interview tomorrow, shall we?"

The couple nodded.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning then," she said, taking a seat. "Was your relationship a case of romance on set as first speculated?"

**AN: I didn't go into the details of the practice this time, since the interview will probably be next. And, as I get bored writing the same thing over and over, everyone else will probably get bore reading it. Updates will likely be later again, since my weekend is over as of tomorrow :( Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	52. Chapter 52 The Interview: Part 1

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before her interview with Ren. The closest thing she'd done to this was interviews to promote the dramas she'd been in, and as she hadn't played a lead before, her part in the interviews had not been the main focus. Tonight, there would be no distractions. It was her and Ren on the stage in front of their interviewer. She would have been much more comfortable if she was playing Bo tonight, as planned, but over at TBM, someone else was donning the suit as Kyouko got ready to sit in the hot seat.

She wrung her hands and looked around the waiting room. They were scheduled to go on shortly. Someone would lead them to the stage, and then they would begin.

Ren reached over and took her fidgeting hands in one of his.

"It'll be fine," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "We practiced this, remember? They're just asking questions about us. All we have to do is be honest."

Kyouko nodded and tried to stop fidgeting. The warmth Ren was transmitting from his hand to hers helped calm her down a little.

Kyouko jumped as a knock sounded on the door and an assistant came in.

"Hello," the young man greeted. "We're just about ready. Just have to get your microphones all set up and we're good to go."

He fiddled with the small electronic devices attached to their clothes, tested them, and once they were pronounced ready, lead them to the stage.

"Hello," their host greeted with a smile, "I'm Kataoka Emi. It's a pleasure to meet you both, and thank you for giving me the privilege of conducting your first interview as a couple."

Ren smiled and returned the woman's greeting, while Kyouko disclaimed the pleasure and privilege, and thanked her for taking the time to host them.

"I see there was no exaggeration," Emi said, giving a slight laugh, "Kyouko-san, you really are as unspoiled by fame as people say you are."

"Eh?" the girl asked, coloring.

"Never mind," Emi said. "We have a few minutes until we start, so please have a seat, and let's have fun with this."

Kyouko relaxed a bit under the influence if Emi's open and friendly demeanor.

A light flashed, indicating that the commercial break was almost over.

"Do you have any questions before we begin?" she asked.

If Kyouko had any, she was too nervous to remember them, and seasoned veteran, Ren, was ready to go.

Another light flashed, indicating that they were on air and Emi pointed a dazzling smile to the camera.

"We're back on with our highly anticipated guests, Tsuruga Ren and Kyouko, giving their first interview since their agency, LME confirmed their relationship. Everyone please give them a warm welcome," she said.

The last sentence was likely unneeded, as the audience all stood, clapping and cheering their enthusiastic greetings to the couple.

Ren and Kyouko both smiled at the audience, the girl giving a slight bow of the head.

"Thank you for joining us tonight," Emi said, signaling the audience to quiet their applause.

"Not at all," Ren said, "The pleasure is all ours."

Kyouko smiled and her quiet assent.

"I'm sure everyone here feels very fortunate to have you here. Especially considering the tight lid that has been kept on information about your relationship. As I mentioned earlier, LME released a statement confirming your relationship, but I'm sure our audience will recall rumors of a romantic connection between the two of you significantly earlier than that statement was released."

A screen behind the trio on stage suddenly lit up, displaying the infamous photo.

Kyouko blushed.

"Can you shed some light as to why there was such a delay between the start of the rumors and the announcement of your relationship?" Emi asked.

Ren smiled.

"That's because we weren't dating at the time the rumors began," he said. "It was not until shortly before the announcement was made that we began seeing each other."

Emi had the same shocked reaction Chiaki had when they first told her, so they were prepared for the onslaught of questions that followed.

"But what about the picture?" she asked. "You two certainly look very intimate in it."

"That was a misunderstanding," Kyouko said, without stuttering at all, and only blushing a little. "I was originally only supposed to appear in one episode of _Selling_. It was an on location shoot, and at the time Ren was the only person I knew, so we sat together on the bus. I suppose I must have been overly nervous, because I didn't sleep enough the night before and ended up using poor Ren as a pillow."

"It looks like Tsuruga-san found an equally comfortable pillow in you, Kyouko-san," Emi said.

Kyouko blushed brighter.

"Well, even if you weren't dating at that time, would you say that you began your relationship as an onset romance?"she asked.

Kyouko glanced at Ren to make sure he wasn't going to speak before she answered.

"No, actually. Though we began dating after we both began our roles for _Selling_, we've known each other for a lot longer than that, and I think our feelings changed slowly over time," she said.

"Eh? When did you begin having feelings for each other?" Emi asked.

"Ah, um, It's hard for me to say when exactly they changed for me," Kyouko said, blushing brighter with every word. "But it's true that I've had profound respect for Ren from the first time I ever had the pleasure of seeing him act. Then, as we got to know each other, he just became a bigger and bigger part of my life."

Emi smiled at the girl. Though her words alone might have seemed bland or devoid of feeling, the way she blushed as she glanced at the man to her side, and the way her hand never left his showed that her feelings went deeper than her words could express.

"What about you, Tsuruga-san?" Emi asked. "When would you say your feelings for Kyouko-san began."

"I would say that Kyouko gave a very accurate representation of the development of our relationship," Ren said. "It began with mutual respect, which developed into friendship, and I can hardly say when that friendship turned into love. The more I got to know Kyouko, the more I cared."

"But there must have been a time when you realized that you felt more than friendship," Emi said, staring them both down.

"I suppose I realized it when a friend tried to point out the love in my own life," Ren said, giving Kyouko a significant look.

"Oh?" Emi asked.

"It was around the time the scenes we were filming for Dark Moon were getting very intense and Katsuki, my character, was having to portray a love of equal intensity," Ren said. "That friend told me that when you love someone, just a few words or a seemingly insignificant action on their part can make you happy. For me that person was Kyouko."

"So you've loved Kyouko-san as long as that and you just recently started dating?" Emi asked. "Why did it take so long?"

"It's meaningless to begin a relationship if both parties are not ready," Ren said.

"Eh? It sounds like it was a one sided love," Emi said.

Kyouko did not like the way Ren was being teased just because she hadn't had the ability to love.

"It's not that it was a one sided love," Kyouko said, blushing. "I was just extremely slow to acknowledge my own feelings. When the other party is someone you respect and look up to so much, someone you have been so used to viewing only in one capacity, the idea that they could have other feelings for you seems too good to be true."

Ren smiled at Kyouko adoringly and squeezed her hand.

The entirely of the female audience swooned, and even Emi blushed slightly.

"You seem to be entirely aware of your feelings now," Emi said, recovering.

"I am," Kyouko confirmed.

"Up until quite recently though, there seemed to be rumors that your feelings were wavering between Tsuruga-san and Fuwa Shou," Emi said.

"We were never anything more than childhood friends," Kyouko said with a bit more force than intended.

Emi smiled.

"Originally, Fuwa-san was invited to join us," Emi said.

Kyouko kept her face carefully blank. She had not been informed of that.

"Unfortunately, it seems he is busy, hard at work writing songs for a whole new album," Emi said. "He did however give us a statement. Would you like to hear it?"

Kyouko tensed. She had no idea what nonsense Shou could have said. He had been very angry when he'd stormed out of their meeting together. He could say some very damaging things if he wanted to.

Kyouko put on her professional smile however, and responded, "I'd love to."

Emi smiled back and pulled a sheet of paper forward from the back of her stack of notes.

"When we spoke to Fuwa-san, he told us, 'Kyouko was a very important part of my early life, and though we have unfortunately fallen mostly out of contact since we both joined separate sectors of the entertainment industry, I hope our friendship will continue and that we will encourage each other to do our best through our friendly competition. I wish her all the best in her career and in her relationship,'" Emi read.

Kyouko was dumbfounded, and it showed on her face.

"You look surprised, Kyouko-san," Emi said. "Were you expecting something else?"

"Ah, um, I am a little surprised," Kyouko said. "I wasn't expecting something so nice— I mean, usually he's more teasing toward me. It doesn't sound like the boy I grew up with. But, um, I'm very touched by his kind wishes."

Kyouko plastered on a wide smile. She truly didn't know how to feel about the statement. It was a complete 180 from his behavior the last time she'd seen him. It was hard to believe that he could become so gracious in such a short space of time. She pushed her confusion aside and decided to find out whether she believed him or not later. For now, she smiled and waited for the next question.

"Well, then, there you have it," Emi said, facing the camera again, "the true connection between actress, Kyouko and singer Fuwa Shou. We'll be back with more about new couple, Tsuruga Ren and Kyouko after a word from our sponsors."

The cameras stopped rolling as the commercials played. Emi smiled out at the audience. Kyouko's heartbeat sounded in her own ears.

Ren gave her hand a gentle squeeze and she looked up at him. He was smiling encouragingly.

She could do this. Ren was with her.

**AN: This chapter is longer than usual and I still couldn't fit all of the interview in it! Oh well, more to look forward to? ;) Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	53. Chapter 53 The Interview: Part 2

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"We're back with the acting world's new It Couple, Tsuruga Ren and Kyouko," Emi said, as they came back from the commercial break. "For those of you just joining us, we have just discovered that the often seen playful relationship between Kyouko-san and Fuwa Shou is the result of a lifelong friendship rather than a romantic relationship. Isn't that right, Kyouko-san?"

Kyouko confirmed Emi's assertion, and Ren gave a smile.

"Well, if anyone has any remaining doubt on that front, they need only observe how devoted these two seem," Emi said with a smile.

They both smiled, and Ren, who had draped his arm over the back of the couch they were seated on during the commercial break, let the appendage fall down over Kyouko's shoulders and pull her slightly closer to him.

"You two do seem very affectionate with one another," Emi said. "In fact, you were recently photographed kissing."

Kyouko blushed bright red.

"Kyouko-san, is it difficult for you two, with you still being a minor?" she asked.

Kyouko cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy. Kyouko didn't know why her being a minor would make their relationship difficult. Perhaps her lack of maturity might annoy Ren, but then wouldn't that be a question for him?

"We are taking things slowly," Ren said," but that is not so much an issue of minority or majority, but the attitude which we have towards our relationship."

When Kyouko heard Ren's answer, she finally understood the question, and so much blood rushed to her face that she was in danger of losing all feeling in her limbs.

Emi smiled at the innocent girl before her and addressed her next question to Ren.

"And what is the attitude toward you hold toward your relationship?" she asked.

Ren smiled.

"We intend to treat our relationship with importance," Ren said. "This isn't some casual fling. We both care about each other deeply and intend to stay together, so we have all the time in the world nurture and develop our relationship into a strong and lasting bond. Other aspects are secondary."

Emi, seasoned hostess that she was, had to take a moment to recover and process Ren's words after he'd finished. As he spoke, the young man kept casting adoring glances at the girl in his arms. A lesser woman would have fainted.

"You seem very secure in the belief that you will stay together," Emi said, "Is there perhaps a little stone involved?"

The first place Kyouko's mind went upon hearing the words 'little stone,' was the memory of Ren kissing her Corn stone. Looking back, that could very well have been when her feelings for Ren began to change. Or was it before that? Either way, the interviewer shouldn't have any knowledge of Corn.

It was a relief to her confused mind when Ren answered the question.

"If you are asking if we are engaged," Ren said, "the answer is no, not yet."

Kyouko's head snapped up to Ren as he spoke the last two words. He had said something similar in the interview practice. In fact, most of the questions had been very similar, but she never thought Ren would come just short of proposing on air.

"Then you intend to become engaged?" Emi asked.

Ren again answered in the same manner as in the practice interview.

"I believe that marriage is generally the goal in serious relationships," he said, smiling.

"You certainly seem serious," Emi said. "Since Kyouko-san is over sixteen, why not simply get married now? I can't imagine a parent objecting to a marriage with someone like you, Tsuruga-san."

"As I said, we want to treasure our relationship, so there's no need to rush," he said.

"What about you, Kyouko-san?" Emi asked. "You two seem very assured of your feelings for each other. Don't you think it would be better to skip to the good part?"

Kyouko's blood again, abandoned the rest of her body in favor of her face. She did not want to propose to Ren on television. She did not want to propose to Ren at all. Though marrying Ren didn't seem like nearly as horrifying an idea as losing him, she still couldn't bear the thought of him growing tired of her after it was too late. On top of that, if they married now, she would need parental consent, and though her mother surely didn't care enough to object to the union, the very thought of her indifference was too painful to bear. Even the idea of a wedding was painful for the same reason. Her mother would not care enough to attend.

Kyouko desperately searched her brain for a reasonable excuse not to want to marry Ren immediately. It would have to be good enough to convince hoards of girls who would jump at the chance, and it would have to be fast. The silence was stretching too long.

"Ah, um, well, actually," she fumbled before finding her reason, "this is my first relationship, and since we do intend to stay together, this is the only chance I'm going to get to experience all the firsts of a relationship, so I don't want to skip anything, whether it is 'to the good part' or not."

Ren beamed at her and pulled her even closer.

"This is your first relationship?" Emi said too shocked to remember to phrase her question in a manner befitting a formal interview.

"Um, yes," Kyouko said.

"Perhaps you are just very discriminating in your choice of partner?" Emi asked. "Given the male fan base your characters have, it's hard to believe you're not very popular with all the young men you come in contact with."

The screen behind them began to cycle through promotional pictures and stills from all of Kyouko's roles…except Bo. The chicken did not draw a strong male fan base.

"Um, actually, I was never very popular in school," Kyouko said. She glossed over the bullying caused by her relationship with Shou. "I was more of the studious type than any of the character's I've played."

"So you're like Cinderella, then," Emi said with a smile. "You've even found your handsome prince."

Kyouko blushed in pleasure. Cinderella was her absolute favorite, and now that she had been compared to the fairytale character, she couldn't keep her mind from venturing off into La La Land.

Luckily, a light began blinking a signal to Emi to wrap up the interview.

"Well, it seems we're almost out of time for tonight," she said, "but let's watch a clip from the happy couple's new drama, _Selling_ before we go."

The lights in the studio dimmed and a clip from the drama began to play on the screen behind them.

The clip was from Kyouko the first episode after Kyouko had signed on as a regular member of the cast. It was the scene where Rika had locked herself in her room, refusing to be sent back to her grandparents', while Tasuke tried to convince her to leave.

The scene ended and the lights came back on.

"Wow! We can definitely see the chemistry between these two. Be sure to check out _Selling_ if you want to seem more great acting with Japan's It Couple," Emi said. She gave the audience the day and time that the drama aired before turning back to her guests. "Thank you again for being here."

"Ah, thank you for having us," Kyouko said, stopping herself from making her usual forty-five degree bow, and contenting herself with a graceful incline of the head.

Emi turned back to the audience, thanked them for watching, and filming ended.

She thanked the couple again, personally.

"It really was such a privilege to interview you both," she said. "I hope I wasn't too hard on you with the questions, but you know, the public wants to know."

Kyouko and Ren graciously disclaimed, and left.

Once off stage, Kyouko let out a deep breath.

"Are you ok?" Ren asked.

"I'm fine," Kyouko said, with a slight smile. "I'm just relieved it's over. I hope I didn't mess up too badly."

Ren smiled.

"I'm very proud of you," Ren said. "You did very well, especially considering how painful it must have been for you to answer about not marrying now."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Because she brought up your mother approving of an early marriage," he clarified.

"Um, yes," she said. "I— I think I managed somehow."

"You did perfectly," he said.

The interview had been in the evening, so Ren drove her directly to the Darumaya afterward. He seemed content not to talk, which was a good thing, because Kyouko was puzzling over his recent words as he took her home.

Ren had said that Emi bringing up her mother must have been painful, but Emi had said 'parent,' not mother, and Kyouko couldn't remember ever telling Ren about her relationship with her mother. Perhaps he simply assumed that it would be painful, since neither parent was present in her life, but then why specify her mother?

"We're here," Ren said, derailing her train of thought.

"Ah, thank you for the ride," Kyouko said, beginning to get out of the car.

"Let me walk you to the door," Ren said.

"Ah, you don't have to," Kyouko said, "What if you get spotted?"

"It will be fine," he assured her with a smile.

He walked her to the door, caressed her cheek and bid her goodnight without any problems. It seemed he would not try and kiss her at the Darumaya.

Only after Kyouko had greeted the Taisho and Okami-san, reviewed her schedule for the next day and was safely in bed did her thoughts once again go to her previous musings.

She really could not remember having told Ren about her mother. She hadn't even told President Takarada about her mother when he allowed her to join LME. The only person she had told was Otou-san. Had Ren somehow heard from him? They hadn't seemed acquainted when she had been acting as Kuon. She continued to mull over the curious question until at last, the cares of the day faded away into the land of dreams.

**AN: Whew! Finished the interview portion! Getting lots of questions about Shou's super uncharacteristic statement. I promise to explain...maybe next chapter, or the one after. It feels somewhat dangerous to say this, as things always take me longer than I plan (I originally thought I would have this wrapped up in 10 chapters),but I think this is finally drawing near the end...but don't quote me. ;) I have something planned which will have a chain reaction of sorts, which may lead to the conclusion...unless the characters get unruly. Could I possibly waffle any more? Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	54. Chapter 54 Sleep Deprivation

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren awoke to the sound of buzzing. He groped for his alarm clock, only to find that the sound did not stop when he hit the snooze button. He cracked an eye open and looked at the time. It was 2:37am. He should have been able to sleep for at least another four hours, but the persistent buzzing sound would not stop. He switched on a light, blinking as his eyes adjusted.

His phone stopped buzzing just as he flipped it open. He had a missed call from President Takarada. He was about to return the call when his phone began buzzing again.

"Hello," he answered groggily.

"I'm sorry I had to wake you up," The President said, sounding distressed. "But she said if I didn't let her speak to you at once, she would come here in person."

"Hmm?" he asked, his mind still muddled with sleep. "Is Kyouko alright?"

"She should be," The President said with a smile. He really liked Ren's one track mind, but at the moment, it was another of Ren's loves to which he was referring. "It's not Mogami-kun I'm talking about though, it's Julie."

"What?" Ren asked, sitting bolt upright, suddenly wide awake.

"It seems she saw your interview with Kyouko, and she's quite upset," The President said. "Kuu managed to calm her down for the time being, but I thought you should know as soon as possible. You never know with her. If you don't contact her soon, she might slip out from under Kuu's nose and board the next flight to Narita."

"What? How did she even see the interview?" Ren asked.

"It's all over youtube," The President said. "It's already been subbed in four languages."

Ren's head was spinning. Maybe he should have thought of the possibility of his parents seeing the interview. They had been keeping track of everything he'd done since his arrival in Japan, but he'd been so distracted lately that he hadn't even thought of how they'd react.

Ren sighed.

"You know what you need to do, Kuon," The President said.

"I know, I know," he said.

"You do still have it, don't you?" The President asked.

"Of course I do," Ren said.

"Good, then make use of it," The President said. "You would hate to have Mogami-kun find out from someone else, wouldn't you?"

"I know!" Ren said, roughly, the sudden pressure and the rude awakening getting to him. "I'm sorry. I know. I'll deal with it. Thank you for informing me."

"Goodnight, Kuon," The President said.

"Goodnight," Ren said.

As soon as he hung up with President Takarada, he got out of bed and went over to his closet, where he moved some boxes out of the way and retrieved another small box from the farthest reaches of his closet.

He looked at the object he'd retrieved. It was there in case of an emergency, and he supposed this constituted one.

* * *

><p>Kyouko sat in a familiar clearing. In the back of her mind, she had the vague recollection that it was winter, yet her senses told her otherwise. A summer sun was in the sky, she felt warm, and the hum of cicadas sounded in the background. She glanced around the clearing and saw a little girl, leaning against a large rock, sobbing into her cupped hands. She was just about to go ask the little girl what was wrong, when a beautiful young boy appeared.<p>

"Corn?" Kyouko asked, but she couldn't seem to make her voice audible.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, leaning over the crying child.

The little girl started, and peeked out from behind her hands. When she saw the boy, her tears stopped.

"Are you a fairy?" she asked, amazement coloring her features.

The boy gave a gentle laugh.

"I'm Corn," he said. "What's your name."

"I—I'm Kyouko," she said.

The older Kyouko gasped. She remembered this. She was dreaming.

"Nice to meet you, Kyouko," Corn said.

The little Kyouko's face scrunched up.

"Kyouko-chan," she said.

"Eh?" he asked.

The little girl went into quite an in depth explanation about the Japanese system of honorifics.

"So, even thought things might be different in the fairy world, that is how they are here," she concluded. "That is why you should call me Kyouko-chan, not Kyouko."

"Alright, Kyouko-chan," the boy said with a grin.

Suddenly, in the way things can happen in dreams, Ren was kneeling down before the little girl in the place where Corn had been, but though in appearance, he was Ren, she knew that he was Corn in her dream.

"Can you tell me why you're crying?" asked the morphed Corn.

The little girl pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and presented it to the man before her.

"I couldn't get a hundred percent this time either," she sobbed. "I couldn't make mommy proud of me."

"You act like you must get a perfect score," he said, now talking to a sixteen year old Kyouko.

This Kyouko began to laugh.

Kyouko felt something in her hand and looked down to find her Corn stone. When she looked back up, she was sitting where the younger Kyouko had been, and Reino was standing in between her and Ren.

"The owner of that stone is most likely no longer in this world," the creepy musician taunted.

"B—but, Corn's right there," she said, pointing to Ren.

Reino vanished like smoke and she found herself in Ren's arms, safe and warm against his chest.

"Don't worry, I've already grown up, my wings have grown out, and I can fly as much as I want," Ren said.

"C—corn?" she asked.

The warmth and light of the summer day was gone. The only thing embracing her was her futon. She glanced at her clock. It was nearly three in the morning.

"What a strange dream," she whispered, pulling her blankets closer around her to make up for the warmth she had lost upon waking from it.

She had several hours until Ren was supposed to pick her up. She would go back to sleep and see if she could make sense of it in the morning.

* * *

><p>"H—hi mom," Kuon said, speaking into the brand new phone. The English words felt strange on his tongue after years of disuse.<p>

"Kuon, don't you 'hi, mom,' me," Julie scolded. "That's the best you can do after years of separation? You leave while I'm away, don't even say goodbye, ignore my pleas from the brink of death, finally call me, and all you have to say is 'hi, mom?'"

"I've missed you," he said.

"I've missed you more," she said, her voice dissolving into sobs.

He heard his father in the background trying to take the phone.

"Why don't I just take it until you've calmed down?" he asked.

"No way!" Julie yelled between sobs. "You got to see him in person, this is _my_ phone call."

Kuon cracked a small smile at his parents' antics. They hadn't changed.

"You're in big trouble, mister," Julie said, after she'd managed to gain back a modicum of her composure.

"I'm sorry," he said, apologizing without asking for a reason. It was always the best route to take with his mother. Besides, he had enough to apologize for with the pain he'd inflicted on them over the years.

"You should be," she said. "How dare you fall in love without a single word to us. We had to find out from the gossip rags. Do you know what that felt like? And we had no way of knowing what was true and what was made up until your interview. That kidnapper refused to tell me anything except that you were dating. And then you practically proposed during the interview! Don't I get to meet her?"

"I would have told you, mom," he said. "I just— I don't think I'm ready to go public yet."

"And a phone call to your mother is going public?" she asked.

"No," he said. "But I can't go back to being Kuon yet, and I can't help it when I talk to you."

"You can't or you're scared to?" Julie asked.

"I—I don't know," he said.

"Kuon, you and your father are different as people and different as actors. If you're setting out to be a better Hozu Shuuhei or Hizuri Kuu than your father, you will never beat him. If you're trying to be the best you you can be, then you've already succeeded long ago," Julie said.

"I know, mom, it's just—"

"If she loves you half as much as it looked like in the interview, then you won't lose her," Julie said. "But the longer you avoid telling her, the more it's going to hurt, so hurry up and get it over with so you can come home and I can meet my future daughter in law."

"We're not engaged yet," he said.

"Who are you trying to kid?" Julie asked. "I'm your mother. I know you, and I know that you fully intend to marry that girl."

Kuon smiled. Even an ocean away, his mother could see right through him.

"I know you're scared, Kuon," Julie said. "But the people who love you will love you no matter what name you're using, no matter what color you dye your hair, or what color your contacts are. And the same goes for the people who respect your acting."

"I know," he said, hesitantly.

"Good," Julie said, "because if you think I'm waiting another seven years, you've got another think coming!"

Ren laughed.

"I'm serious," Julie said, tone growing frightening.

"I know," he said, sobering his tone.

"And you're not getting away without talking to me anymore," Julie said. "If you don't call me every day, I'm taking the first flight over there."

"My schedule is a little hectic, Mom," he said.

"Every other day," she said.

After much reasoning on Ren's part and much threatening to die of Julie's, they finally managed to agree on a once a week phone call, with the amendment that Kuon call more often if he had free time, and that he come clean soon.

When they finally said goodbye, he heard his parents again in the background.

"let me talk to him," Kuu begged.

"No!" Julie said, stubbornly. "You let that kidnapper take him away, then you flew off without me to see him. This is payback."

"No!" Kuu wailed.

"Call again soon, Kuon," Julie said. "I love you."

"I will. Love you too, mom," Ren said, then powered off the phone, put it back in its little box, and returned it to the very back of his closet.

He smiled as he crawled back beneath the covers. He would get less sleep than was good for him tonight, but in the morning, he would wake up happier and more refreshed than he'd been in over seven years.

**AN: This chapter title is oddly fitting for me too, as I couldn't sleep last night and stayed up until 5:00am to write this instead. I slept in though, so I couldn't post before work, and good thing I didn't, because insomnia and typos seem to go hand in hand. There are probably still some I didn't catch though...** **Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing ****etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	55. Chapter 55 Waiting

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Shou, weren't you writing?" Shouko asked as the musician glanced at his phone for what had to be the thirtieth time in five minutes.

He snapped his gaze back to the nearly blank page before him.

"I am," he said, picking up his notebook and scribbling a few lines. He then set the notebook aside with a scowl, picked up his phone and checked the volume settings. It was turned all the way up. He tossed gave a frustrated grunt and exchanged the device for his notebook once more.

In the few days after the failed meeting with Kyouko and co., his mind swirled with emotions that would not go away. He tried writing songs along the same line as his other recent releases, but the emotions he was really feeling kept pushing to the forefront. He couldn't keep them at bay any longer. Once he started writing, he couldn't stop. He stayed up for two nights straight, filling notebooks with songs full of raw emotion, anger, jealousy, possessiveness, defeat, determination, desire, love, and the one that kept him from expressing the others outside of song, pride.

He'd known during the meeting that every word out of his mouth was a load of crap, but he'd been unable to stop himself. He couldn't say something sappy, like how important she was to him or how much he wanted her. He couldn't admit feeling something as uncool as remorse, regret, or jealousy, so he had fallen back on insults, but she hadn't risen to the bait. It felt like she didn't even care about him anymore, and he couldn't handle that, so he'd stormed off.

He had been in a daze, writing everything he felt, when a producer had called and invited him to take part in an interview with Kyouko and Ren. Shouko had taken the call.

"Shou," she'd said tentatively.

He had grunted and continued writing.

"Shou," she tried with a little more force.

He had continued to ignore her until she'd taken his notebook from him.

"It's about Kyouko-chan," she'd said.

He looked up from the corner of his eye, trying not to appear interested.

When Shouko explained that he'd been asked to join the interview, he'd masked his anger at being made that couple's tagalong, by telling Shouko that he had better things to do than an interview with 'that boring, unattractive girl.'

Shouko had sighed.

"You really should stop saying things you don't mean," Shouko said.

Shou rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious, Shou," she said. "That's what got you into this whole mess in the first place. That girl devoted her entire life to you. She was a good friend to you. She was important to you."

Shou raised his eyebrows as if to ask whatever gave her that idea.

"Please, Shou," she said, "You're not the first teenage boy who's tried to impress me."

The rocker gaped. Was he really that transparent? His sexy manager hadn't swooned over him like his fans or like Kyouko, and he'd wanted to make her see how cool he was. He'd planned to use Kyouko's affection to impress Shouko with, what he thought of as the girls-adore-me-but-I-don't-even-care plan.

Kyouko walking in during his insulting speech had not been part of that plan, but he could hardly apologize and look like a fool on front of Shouko, so he'd stuck to his words.

"Whatever," he said, rolling his eyes.

Shouko sighed.

"Fine, Shou. Keep acting keep acting like a child who doesn't know how to verbalize his emotions, meanwhile, Kyouko-chan will forget you, and continue to get closer to the person who knows how to express his feelings for her like an adult," Shouko said. "Don't bother about the interview. I'll call them back and tell them you're too busy. I'd hate to have you say something to embarrass yourself."

Shouko had turned angrily away and began punching the number of the TV station into her phone, but Shou took the device and snapped it shut.

"I'll call," he said.

Shouko had looked horrified, but her face bore a smile by the time he hung up.

Even Shou knew he couldn't handle being on the same stage as Kyouko and that pinhead actor. He wasn't about to relinquish his entire reputation into the hands of that couple though. If Kyouko thought she could make him look like some jealous idiot, she was sorely mistaken. He politely declined the invitation and made the most gracious, mature, and most importantly least jealous seeming statement he could possibly manage. He would show Kyouko that he could be at least as mature as that idiot boyfriend of hers, and then she would come running back.

Or at least that's what he had thought. The silence of his phone seemed to say otherwise.

* * *

><p>Ren had seemed to be in an odd mood all day. When he'd picked her up in the morning, he had been all smiles, but when she'd asked him about his good mood, he'd seemed to waver and grow tense. He had said that he was in a good mood because he got to see her, but he had been seeing her nearly every day since they'd become an official couple, and he hadn't displayed this nervous energy. Come to think of it, he'd never acted quite like this.<p>

Yashiro noticed too, and assumed that something had happened between Ren and Kyouko. She had blushed bright red and immediately gone into a rant of denials. Ren had given Yashiro a look reminiscent of their time together as the Heel siblings.

"There's something you're not telling me" Kyouko said, while they sat together on the set of _Selling_, eating their lunches together.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, tensing up again

"Because you're acting strange," she said.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, leaning toward her.

Kyouko felt like Ren was placing some special significance on her answer, like it was some sort of test.

"N—no," she said. "I didn't mean it was bad, just different. I mean, it's good. You seem happy."

It seemed her answer was sufficient, but not enough to convince him to make his next move in the secret game he was playing.

He smiled at her and went back to eating his lunch, or rather, moving the food around on his plate and taking the occasional bite.

Kyouko finished what was left of hers and kept glancing at the strangely behaving Ren. She knew he had things he wasn't telling her. That he had some sort of painful past had become quite obvious in their time together as the Heel siblings. She knew what it was like not to want to talk about the things that have hurt you though, and he didn't seem to want to talk about it, so she didn't ask. But today, it seemed that something good had happened, and he still didn't want to tell her about it. Maybe she just really wasn't someone he could rely on. If she hadn't told him about Bo, maybe he would have told the chicken.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

Kyouko realized that she must have been frowning, so she threw on a quick smiled and told him she was fine.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sorry," she said. She never had been able to lie to him.

Ren looked confused. "For what?"

"I know it's presumptuous of me, and as long as you're alright, I guess I shouldn't have a reason to worry. It's none of my business, but I—" she dropped her voice to just above a whisper, "I just hoped you could trust me."

Ren pulled her chair closer to his and then captured her in an embrace.

"I'm sorry, Kyouko," he said. "I do trust you. I'm just scared of losing you. So give me a little time, ok?"

She nodded from her position against his chest.

Ren released her and she flew back as they were alerted of someone's presence by a loud clearing of the throat.

"Sorry to interrupt," Yashiro said, Cheshire Cat grin firmly in place. "I just came to remind you that you're both needed back on set in fifteen minutes."

"Got it," Ren said with a glare.

Kyouko thanked him for reminding them and scooted her chair back to its original position.

Yashiro walked off, chuckling.

Kyouko let out a breath as the manager disappeared.

"You'd better finish your lunch quickly," she said. "All you've been doing is moving it around on your plate."

Ren grinned, silently complying with the blushing girl's wishes.

"Um, you know," Kyouko said, trying to fill the silence, "I had a really strange dream last night."

"Oh?" Ren asked, between bites.

"Yes," she said. "Um, you remember how I told you my Corn stone was named after the person who gave it to me?"

Ren tensed up before nodding.

"Well, in my dream, you were corn," she said.

Ren began to cough.

**AN: I would like to blame having 99% of my Christmas shopping left to do on the fact that I've spent most of my free time writing this story, but if I'm being honest, the real reason is that I shop like a man...** **I have a lot to do and very little time to do it in :( Since I'm pretty determined to keep my chapter a day update goal, this warning is likely unnecessary, but I'm going to be VERY busy the next couple days, so if I am unable to update, you will know why. ****Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	56. Chapter 56 Mustering Up the Courage

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"Ren! Are you alright?" Kyouko asked, drawing near to pat his back.

He continued coughing, face growing slightly red from lack of oxygen, before he was finally able to catch his breath.

"I'm fine," he said. "I just inhaled my food."

"Are you sure?" Kyouko asked, brows furrowed in concern.

"I'm sure," he said.

He glanced down at his watch. Kyouko had dropped a bombshell and he really wanted to find out more, but they had to be back on set shortly. She didn't seem to have a clue that her dream had been accurate, or if she was aware of it, she didn't seem to mind.

"We should get back," he said, reluctantly, "but let's finish talking later."

"Oh, um, it's not really important," Kyouko said. "I um, just wanted to tell you, since it was about you…sort of…"

"Well, I would love to hear more," Ren said, covering his nervousness with a seductive smile.

Kyouko blushed bright red, nodded her head, and they both headed back to set.

"Ah, I was just about to send Yashiro-san back to get you," Director Yamaguchi said.

"Sorry for the delay," Ren said.

"No, no, you're right on time," he said. "Let's get started, shall we?"

The two nodded in agreement and took their places on set.

Tasuke and Rika sat in his car in front of Rika's house. She began to get out of the car, but Tasuke laid a hand on her arm to stop her.

Rika turned toward Tasuke and waited for him to speak.

"What is it?" she finally asked.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Andou-kun recently," he said.

"We're dating," she said, carefully scrutinizing Tasuke's face.

"Do your parents know?" he asked.

Rika rolled her eyes.

"Of course they know," she said. "He's come over to the house, it's not like I could invite him over and not introduce him."

"You shouldn't invite him over," Tasuke said. "I don't trust him."

Rika didn't trust him either. Later, they would insert a clip of Rika's memories, scenes of Hajime talking to suspicious looking boys at school and passing some unidentifiable object to them.

"Why don't you trust him?" Rika asked.

"He doesn't seem to be who he says he is," Tasuke said. "I think he's lying to you."

Rika looked disappointedly down at her lap, and didn't catch the tender and concerned look Tasuke gave her.

Here, they would insert Tasuke's memory. The audience would see him consult a fellow detective. He would tell the man that he could connect several of Hajime's friends with the drug deals, but he couldn't connect the boy himself, or find the true mastermind behind the deals. The man would offer to help in any way he could, then the clip would end, and they would return to the present scene.

"I just want to keep you safe," Tasuke said forlornly.

"I want more than protection from you," Rika said, "but I think you already knew that."

She immediately slung her bag over her shoulder and exited his car.

Tasuke sighed, staring after her as she walked up her driveway.

"Cut," the director called. "Great job."

He reviewed the footage and pronounced it perfect.

They shot a few more scenes for the day, and then they both had to go to other jobs. Ren had a photo shoot and then an appearance on a talk show later that evening, while Kyouko, with her acting talents and unique eye color, had been offered a mascara commercial.

"When are you going to finish tonight?" Ren asked as he drove her to the location of her shoot.

"Um, I think I should be done by eight," Kyouko said.

"I finish at nine," he said, disappointedly. "Will you wait for me, so I can give you a ride?"

"Ah, um, it's really not necessary," she said. "I'll be fine."

"Oh, look! Paparazzi," Yashiro said, pointing out the window.

Kyouko's head snapped toward the direction in which Yashiro had pointed, but they had already passed.

"Oh, another one," he said, pointing out the opposite window.

Kyouko's head snapped in that direction, but again, they had already passed.

"You sure you ought to walk home tonight, Kyouko-chan?" Yashiro asked. "If you don't want to wait for Ren, I'm sure President Takarada would send a limo around for you."

"Eh? No! I—I really don't need a limo," Kyouko said, then turned to Ren, "Um, I can wait for you…if you want."

"I would like that very much," Ren said, smiling at her.

She blushed and turned toward the window to find that they had already arrived at the studio where her commercial shoot was to take place.

"I'll be there as soon as I can tonight," Ren said.

"Um, alright," Kyouko said. "Thank you, Ren. Goodbye, Yashiro-san."

Both men bid the girl farewell, and Ren pulled away from the curb, heading toward the location of his modeling shoot.

"Thanks, Yashiro," Ren said, before his manager could get out any teasing comments.

"Eh?" he asked.

"You pointed out those 'paparazzi' so Kyouko would accept a ride, didn't you?" Ren said.

"Ah, well, they could have been paparazzi," he said, blushing slightly. "They both had cameras."

"You tease me all the time, and you get embarrassed when I thank you?" Ren asked with a chuckle.

"Well, you don't do it very often," Yashiro said. "At least, not like that. You seem to think I'm just being nosy for my own amusement."

Ren laughed.

"And you're not?"

"Well…most of the time," Yashiro said sheepishly.

"Well, thanks for everything anyway," Ren said, laughing again.

Ren's modeling shoot was fairly painless. It was nothing unusual, just lots of wardrobe changes and lots of different poses.

The interview had been another story. He didn't know why he had agreed to the interview. It was on a fairly new show with a young female hostess, who obviously loved gossip and lacked professionalism.

For the entire hour long interview, the woman kept leaning toward him, trying to provide a good view down her low cut top. Ren's eyes never strayed below her own, so she began touching his arm or hand in a flirtatious manner. He leaned further away from her, and spent the whole interview trying to avoid her without letting the disgust he was feeling show on his face.

The part that had bothered him the most, however, was when she had asked him "Exactly how slow are you going with Kyouko-san?" "Isn't it frustrating," and "Why don't you find someone to have some fun with while you're waiting for her?" He had given his very brightest gentleman's smile and assured her that he was perfectly happy with the pace of his relationship and that the only "fun" he ever wanted to have again was with Kyouko. This had seemed to disappoint her, but it caused her to stop asking insulting questions about Kyouko, and he was able to finish the interview.

When it was over, Yashiro smirked and handed Ren a bottle of water.

"You look like you need to get out your frustrations," Yashiro said.

Ren sighed.

"Well, I'll take my leave then," he said, smirking. "You go get Kyouko-chan."

"Don't you need a ride?" Ren asked.

"I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself," he said with a wink. "You should go see Kyouko-chan right away. You look like you're ready to kill someone."

The comment startled Ren. He knew it was just an expression, but as much as he had been worrying about revealing his past to Kyouko, the comment struck him. His mask was cracking more every day. He needed to tell her soon. He just hoped he wouldn't lose her.

He picked up his phone and dialed the only person in the country who knew his secret.

"Ren," The President answered. "You're not still angry about last night, are you?"

"No," he said, walking to his car. "I'm calling because I need a safe place to talk. I'm going to tell her."

**AN: So, good news and bad news. Bad news is, at first I was having a hard time with this chapter, so to make myself get into it, I kept writing and writing and writing and, well, you get the picture. I got a little too into it and ended up writing a chapter almost double the usual length, so I had to break it up and didn't end up getting to the point I wanted to reach. The good news is, that means I have tomorrow's chapter at least halfway done. Also found out my guests are not arriving until evening tomorrow, so it should be easier to find time to post :D Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think. Merry Christmas Everyone!**


	57. Chapter 57 Her Dream, His Reality

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren called Kyouko to tell her he was on his way to get her, and when he pulled up to the building, she was standing in front, smiling and holding her bag.

"You really ought to wait inside," he said, as she got in. "It's safer."

"I want to make sure I saw you as soon as you got here," she said. Her face colored slightly. "I mean, I didn't want to make you wait."

Ren smiled.

"I don't mind waiting as long as you're safe," he said. "So wait inside from now on."

"Alright," she agreed.

There was silence for a few moments as Ren maneuvered his car back onto the road.

"Ah," he said, casually, as if just remembering, "you were telling me about your dream earlier."

"Oh, um, it's just silly," she said.

"I'd like to hear it though," Ren said with a smile. "Am I really the man of your dreams?"

Kyouko blushed and wrinkled her nose at his silly joke.

"Well, only kind of," she said. "You know how in dreams, things change around. They're one thing and then suddenly another, but somehow in the dream, in your mind it's still the first thing?"

Ren nodded, half understanding.

"Well, it was like that," she said. "I was back in Kyoto and I was watching myself as a little girl, and Corn, and then Corn turned into you, but in my mind, you were still Corn. And then, I was watching you as Corn, and me when I was sixteen. Then, instead of watching, I was me and I was with you as Corn."

Kyouko blushed as she finished.

"So what happened in the dream?" he asked.

"Well, um first Corn was comforting me when I was crying about upsetting my mother, and then you were comforting me about Corn being ok, but you were Corn, so you were just telling me you were ok," she said. "Strange, huh?"

"The mind is certainly an interesting thing," he said, pulling into the parking lot of The Darumaya.

Kyouko smiled up at him, gathered her bag and made to exit the vehicle.

He stopped her with a gentle touch on her arm.

She turned to look at him and found him staring at her with an expression she couldn't quite identify.

"Kyouko," he said, reaching out to caress her face. "Can I kiss you?"

Kyouko's face immediately erupted into flames, but she nodded shyly.

Ren leaned in and captured her lips with restrained need. He gave her a number of feather light kisses before pulling back, caressing her face once more an breathing, "I love you."

"I love you too," she said in a whisper.

He took a deep breath. That could be the last time she ever let him kiss her, the last time she ever told him she loved him.

He got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side and opened her door.

He held her hand and walked her to her door for what could be the last time.

"Kyouko," he said, when they were at the side door of the restaurant, "After we're both finished with work tomorrow, can I take you somewhere? There's something I need to tell you."

Kyouko furrowed her brow in concern.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow, so will you come with me?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "I'll go."

Ren smiled. His heart both soared and plummeted. She agreed to go with him. She agreed to hear him out, but it might be the last time for that too.

Ren turned to go, but stopped when he felt her small hand capture his.

"Um, you look tired, so please get some sleep tonight," Kyouko said. "I'm worried about you."

Ren gave her hand a squeeze before getting in his car and going home.

* * *

><p>If Ren got any sleep that night, he couldn't remember. He did go home and straight to bed, as instructed, but as soon as he was laying under the covers in the darkness and silence of his own room, his thoughts began to run rampant, and his heartbeat was too loud to let him sleep.<p>

As he lay awake, he tried to figure out some mildly coherent way to explain his past to Kyouko. He couldn't exactly get her alone and then just say, "Hey, Kyouko guess what? I'm actually Hizuri Kuon and your childhood friend Corn. I screwed up my life, ran away from home and came to Japan to become an actor who could surpass my father. Never leave me, ok?"

He groaned. Why did things have to be so hard? Well, it was his own fault. He was the one who had made bad decisions. He was the one responsible for messing up his own life, ending the life of a friend, and breaking his parents' hearts. He really didn't deserve her, and maybe after tomorrow, she would see that.

Kyouko had always put him on a pedestal, viewed him as some kind of acting god and perfect man, but he knew that he was actually incredibly flawed. He had been the cause of pain in many people's lives. He struggled to control himself, but even now, he had times when he had incredibly dark thoughts. If Kyouko knew all that how could she possibly love him?

* * *

><p>Ren reached over and switched off his alarm before it even sounded. For the latter half of the night, he has simply been lying in bed, feeling the cold lump of his heart beating in his chest and watching the minutes change. He got up, showered, dressed and went to pick up Kyouko to take her to LME before he headed to his jobs.<p>

Ren stepped up to the side door of the Darumaya and knocked. Usually, the friendly Okami-san would greet him and invite him in, but today, he was greeted by the stern Taisho.

"Ah, good morning," Ren greeted with a bow.

The older man grunted and swept and arm towards the hallway, motioning for Ren to come in.

Ren stepped into the hallway and stood there. He expected the Taisho to go back to the kitchen, or do something, anything, but the man stood there for a moment, staring sharply.

"She said she's going somewhere with you after work tonight," he finally commented.

Ren was startled.

"Ah, um, yes," he said.

There was another tense moment of silence as the Taisho again stared, his mouth compressing into a thin line.

"She said she doesn't know when she'll get home," he said, just barely raising an eyebrow.

He didn't have to do more than that. Ren could sense the threat in the man's scant words and only slightly changed expression.

"Barring something unexpected," Ren said, "I will have her home by ten, eleven at the latest."

The Taisho raised his eyebrow slightly higher.

"I—" Ren swallowed a lump in his throat. "She's very important to me. I would never disrespect her."

"Good," the Taisho said. "We feel the same. If anyone ever hurt her…"

He let the threat go unfinished, but it was sufficient that way.

"I understand," Ren said.

The Taisho gave a barely discernable, satisfied smile, and retreated back to his fortress of shining knives.

"Ah, sorry to make you wait!" Kyouko said, bounding down the stairs, bag in hand. "I didn't realize you were here."

"It's fine," Ren said. "Actually, I came a bit too early."

"Does that mean we have time for breakfast?" she asked. "Um, I mean, if you haven't eaten yet, and if you have time, otherwise I could just pick something up at LA Hearts or something."

"No, " Ren said with a smile," You don't need to do that. We have plenty of time."

Kyouko smiled at him, taking him by the hand and leading him to the counter where she usually ate breakfast. She deposited him on a stool and then disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing moments later with two light servings of miso soup, steamed rice and grilled fish.

"I hope this is ok," she said, placing a serving before him and taking the seat beside him.

"It looks delicious," he said.

"The Taisho's cooking is the best," Kyouko said, beaming.

Suddenly he wondered if his food might be poisoned.

He shook the thought and took a bit the soup.

"It's delicious," he said, then leaning close to her ear, "But I like your cooking the best."

Kyouko blushed and Ren heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen. He sat up straight and concentrated on eating his breakfast, merely stealing glances at the girl he loved.

He sighed. He would love to wake up with her every day, eat breakfast with her ever day. God, she even made him want to eat breakfast! But this was another experience that could be a last for them.

"Ren, are you ok? Did you sleep last night? You still look tired," she said, looking up at him, face painted with concern.

"I'm just nervous about tonight," he said.

"Is it really something to be so worried about?" she asked. "Can't you just tell me now? Then you wouldn't have to keep worrying."

He swallowed a lump in his throat. Would she ever feel such concern for him again?

"I'll tell you tonight," he said.

Kyouko pouted.

"Alright," she said. "If you think that's what's best, I'll trust you."

She gave him a sad smile, then whisked the dishes away, and they left.

"I'll see you tonight," he said, dropping her off at LME.

"See you tonight," she said.

He watched her go with a sigh.

"What's with the tense atmosphere?" Yashiro asked, approaching his charge.

"Nothing," Ren said.

"It didn't look like nothing," Yashiro said. "What's wrong? Is another guy chasing after Kyouko-chan? You really shouldn't worry so much. Even if she wasn't head over heels in love with you, she's still oblivious to the attentions of other men."

"Thanks," Ren said, with a smile. He was slightly relieved by his manager's joking.

"Relax, Ren," Yashiro said. "You've finally got her. You won't lose her so easily."

Ren really hoped Yashiro was right.

**AN: I really wanted to get to Ren's explanation, but it's been taking me SO long. I figured this was kind of a mean place to leave off on Christmas though, so I wrote the next chapter too. It should be up by the time you read this. Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	58. Chapter 58 His Confession

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren had muddled through his day somehow. He was anxious to get to the end of the day, even if it meant reaching his doom. He loved Kyouko. He wanted her to be able to love the real him back, even if he knew he didn't deserve it.

It seemed Yashiro could tell something was wrong. He hadn't been his usual teasing self. He had offered encouragement.

"I don't know what you're going through, Ren," he said when Ren dropped him off, "but I know that you can get through it."

He was thankful for the faith placed in Ren, but he wasn't sure Kuon would be so lucky.

He parked his car in the parking lot of LME and headed into the building to pick up Kyouko. She was waiting in the lobby.

"Look, I waited inside," she said, when he approached.

He smiled.

"Good."

"Um, so where are we going?" Kyouko asked.

"To The President's office," he said.

Kyouko looked at him in confusion.

"It's secure," he said.

She still looked confused.

"I'll explain everything when we get there," he said.

He still hadn't managed to figure out exactly how he was going to do it, but do it he would.

They rode the elevator in silence, lights changing as they ascended floor after floor. Finally, they reached President Takarada's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," he called.

They entered his office to find it looking like, well, an office. The President himself was dressed as flamboyantly as ever in the colorful garb of a maharaja.

"Good, you're here," he said, offering a smile that was somehow serious. "I'll see that you are not disturbed. Take as much time as you need."

"Thank you," Ren said, bowing in gratitude.

They entered the office, and Ren locked the door behind them. He then moved them over to sit on a couch, and took a deep breath.

Kyouko looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know where to start," he said, laughing at himself humorlessly. "I never thought it would be this difficult."

"You don't have to do this," Kyouko said, boldly taking his folded hands in hers. "If it causes you this much pain to talk about it, you don't have to say anything."

"But I do," Ren said. "I can't keep lying to you."

Kyouko furrowed her brow.

"Remember what we talked about on our second date?" Ren asked. "When I told you I had a secret that I couldn't tell?"

Kyouko nodded.

"That was stupid," Ren said. "It's not that I couldn't tell you. I know that I can trust you. I was just scared of losing you before we'd even started."

He looked to meet Kyouko's gaze.

"I'm scared of losing you now. Terrified."

"You're not going to lose me," she said, coloring.

"You might not feel that way after you find out what kind of a person I am," he said.

"Stop it!" Kyouko shouted, surprising Ren. "Don't say something like that."

"Kyouko, if you knew who I really am, you wouldn't defend me so—"

"I _do_ know," she said. "I've known you for more than two years. It's not like I haven't come to understand you at least a little in that time. I'm not one of your gooey-eyed fans. I know that you can be scary and violent and judgmental, and j—jealous, and you jump to conclusions too quickly, you can be kind of a sadist with the way you tease me sometimes, and you're a terrible cook. But I also know that you're kind, caring, devoted to acting a—and to me, you're protective, you're always there for me when I need you, even when I avoid you, you're determined and do your best, even when it scares you. You make me feel safe and l—loved. And I didn't learn any of that by watching Tsuruga Ren the actor, so don't think that I would just throw you away so easily!"

Kyouko was breathing heavily, a scowl on her face and tears in her eyes.

Ren didn't know what to say, so he pulled Kyouko into her arms and just held her, breathing her in.

"Trust me," Kyouko said, speaking into his frantically beating heart.

"I do trust you," he said. "But I'm still scared of losing you."

"Welcome to the club," she said, distancing herself just enough to look him in the eye. She gave him a little smile.

Ren smiled back. He had forgotten. The situations might have been different, but the emotions were still the same. Kyouko had had to beat her fear of love in order to be with him. She had been afraid, but she had done it anyway. He needed to conquer his fears as well. Perhaps, if he could do this, he could return to himself again.

"Ok, where do I begin?" he asked.

"How about the beginning?" she suggested, and so he did.

Ren told her about growing up the son of two celebrity parents, who though extremely loving, even overly so, were often busy with work and didn't have as much time with him as any of them could have wished. He told her that he had met a little girl on one of their family vacations to Japan, and that for a little while, he had been healed by comforting her. He told her that when they had returned home, he had begun getting into trouble to get his parents' attention, that he had been acting at the same time, but in his determination to step out of his father's shadow, he had not taken direction well, and been fired countless times. He told her that he began fighting to get out his frustration, and that his recklessness had ultimately cost his mentor and dearest friend his life.

"I hated who I had become, the pain I had caused. I just wanted to erase my own existence. I even thought about killing myself," he said.

Kyouko, who had been listening silently the whole time, let out a gasp and the tears that had been pooling in her eyes escaped and ran in trails down her cheeks.

"That was when my father's friend, Lory Takarada, offered me a way to save myself. He told me to come to Japan, to start over out from under my father's shadow and become an actor with my own merits alone," he said. "That was how Tsuruga Ren was born."

He looked at Kyouko, who was silently taking it all in. So far, he had told her his story, without names. He had only given her the circumstances.

"I—I knew Tsuruga Ren wasn't your real name," Kyouko said. "I wouldn't hate you for that. I wouldn't hate you for being hurt and trying to find a way to survive."

"What about for lying to you?" he asked.

"It was your own secret, Ren, I have no right to force you to tell me," she said.

"But it's not just my secret," he said. "You're a part of it too."

She looked at him in confusion.

"Kyouko, the little girl I met on vacation was you," he said. "I'm Corn, or rather Kuon."

Kyouko was taken aback.

"Kyouko, I'm Hizuri Kuon. Hizuri Kuu and Juliella are my parents," he said.

Kyouko's brow furrowed, and her eyes darted back and forth as she took it all in, processing the information.

Ren held his breath, waiting for her to scream, cry, tell him that he betrayed her and that she never wanted to see him again. His heart beat sped up until he thought the muscle would explode.

Finally a light of comprehension seemed to glimmer in her eyes and she dove for him.

For a second, he thought she was going to attack him, but instead she threw her arms around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder and uttered a muffled, "I'm so happy!"

To say that he was shocked would have been the understatement of the year. He had expected, anger, hurt, sadness, never joy. He wondered if it was a dream until Kyouko pulled back, and swatted him in the arm, the sting proving that this was reality.

"But how could you leave your parents alone for so long?" she asked. "Otou— I mean, Hizuri-san looked so heartbroken whenever he talked about you. Your parents love you so much, so how could you—"

Kyouko was cut off by her own sobs.

Ren was confused. One moment she had declared herself happy, then next she was angry, and then she was crying.

"Y—you…have parents who— l—love you!" she said between sobs. "How could you— how could you l—leave them?"

He finally understood. Kyouko didn't have a father, and her mother had only ever hurt her. Loving parents must have been something she truly longed for.

"I left because I didn't want to hurt them anymore," he said.

"C—couldn't you just have said you were sorry?" she asked tearfully.

Her expression made his heart clench.

"Maybe I could have," he said. "But at the time, I felt trapped. And I'm glad I came here, if only so I could meet you again."

Kyouko stopped sobbing and seemed to consider the statement.

"I— I know it's selfish," she said. "But I'm glad you came too."

Ren smiled and pulled her back into his arms. He would never have imagined that the broken young man who came to Japan seven years ago would find so much healing, nor so much happiness.

**AN: And here is my Christmas present to you. The second of two chapters in one day :D Hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas! Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I probably would have lost my motivation to write this if I didn't have all of you, so thank you very much! Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	59. Chapter 59 Decisions

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

They ended up staying in The President's office for quite a while. While things had gone well, and Kyouko had understood the reasons behind Ren's actions, there were still some things that she didn't understand, and some decisions that had to be made.

"So um, if you're telling me," Kyouko said, "does that mean you're going to reveal your identity to the public soon?"

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking about the public," he said, "I just knew that I had to tell you. I can't be Ren around you."

Kyouko looked at him in confusion.

"You know the way you described me earlier?" he said, "You said none of that was Tsuruga Ren, and you were right. Whenever it comes to you, I turn back into myself. I can't hide it around you, and I don't want to. I know I don't deserve it, but I want you to be able to love me as me, not as Tsuruga Ren."

"Didn't I already say that I do?" she said, half glaring.

Ren looked at her, a bit confused, and she locked eyes with him.

Her eyes burned with determination, even as a bright red blush overspread her cheeks.

"I love you, Kuon," she said.

Again, the man pulled Kyouko into his arms. He held her tightly, but gently, hanging on for dear life, but being careful not to break her.

"God, I want to kiss you right now," he breathed into her shoulder.

"Y—you can," she said timidly, "You don't have to ask every ti—"

She was cut off as his lips sealed hers. This kiss was different from the others Ren had given her. The previous kisses had all been light, restrained. Now he was kissing her as if he was dying of thirst and she was a glass of water.

"I'm sorry," he said, finally breaking from her. "I didn't mean to— to do it like that."

"It's ok," she said, barely audibly.

He wished he could see her face, judge her reaction, but her face was pointed down, her forehead against his chest, and all the evidence he could use to formulate some sort of guess at her feelings, was the sight of her bright red ears, and the feel of her slightly trembling hands against his abdomen.

"Are you alright?" he asked, holding her by the shoulders to get a glimpse of her face.

"I—I'm just not used to this," she said, her slightly clouded eyes peeking up at him through the fringe of her hair, face still flushed and lips still wet.

He pulled her against him again to hide her expression from himself, lest he lose himself in kissing her when they needed to talk.

After some deep breathing and very stern words internally directed at himself, he let Kyouko move back to her original position on the couch. It helped that the evidence of their heated kiss had faded, and that she was sitting at a slight distance.

"Sorry," he said again. "I'll try not to do that again."

Kyouko blushed and her eyes darted to her lap.

Was that disappointment?

"I mean, not until after we've figured things out," he said.

Kyouko blushed even brighter, but nodded her head.

"So, do you think you'll tell the public after all?" she asked. "You said you wanted to equal your father. Don't you think you've done that?"

"I may be the number one actor in Japan," he said. "But my father is a legend."

"Legends happen over time," Kyouko said. "Usually you don't even know you're a legend until after you're already gone. Are you seriously going to make your parents wait that long? Do you want to keep pretending that long?"

"I—I don't know," he said. "Originally, I thought that playing Katsuki would be enough. I thought if I could beat my father in a role he played, I could meet my goal, but then I realized that Ren still hadn't beaten Kuon."

Kyouko's brows furrowed.

"Why does Ren have to beat Kuon?" she asked in irritation.

"Because Kuon is— he's not a good person," He said. "He's hurt too many people. If I don't get him under control, I— I could end up hurting people. I could end up hurting you."

"Now I know why you get so frustrated when I put myself down," Kyouko said with a sigh. "Kuon is _not_ someone Ren needs to beat!"

She caught his eyes and held them.

"You can't get rid of Kuon, and if you try, I won't forgive you," she said. "Ren and Kuon are both just names. All the traits they have, all the different ways you act when you're thinking as one of them, those are all a part of you. You may have hurt people in the past, but you have healed them too. You— you've healed me. I know you would never hurt me."

He reached out to caress her face, but Kyouko leaned away from the touch.

"No," she said. "You can't have me if you're going to kill Kuon."

He relinquished his hand and smiled at the angry girl before him. He desperately wanted to protect her, to make sure she was always safe and happy, and here she was protecting him.

"I won't kill Kuon," he said, laughing. Taken out of context, this conversation would sound very strange.

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise," he said.

"Good," she said, moving slightly closer.

He reached out and took her hand.

"I guess you're going to stay Ren for now," she said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"You want me to tell the public?" he asked.

"I don't care about that," she said, giving him a shock. "You can call yourself Ren, or Kuon, or Katsuki, or Cain, or BJ, or any other name you can think of to the public. I don't care what name you use as long as you're you. Oh, and go see your parents."

Ren smiled. He really had found the best girl in the world.

"I'll talk to The President," he said, "And I'll call my parents."

"Good," Kyouko said, giving a satisfied smile.

"Care to join me? I'm sure my father misses you and my mother would love to talk to you," he said, smirking as he walked toward the phone on President Takarada's desk.

"Eh? No! That's a family thing! You should do that in private! I can't intrude on your conversation with your parents, especially when you haven't talked to them in so long. They'll hate me for intruding," she said, panicking.

Ren laughed, walked back to her and took her by the hand.

"I saw my father when he was here and I called my mother a couple days ago. She yelled at me and told me to tell you and bring you to go meet her," he said.

Kyouko blushed bright red and dug her heels into the carpet as Ren tried to get her to join him at the desk.

"I can't! I really can't!" she said. "What if— what it they don't like me?"

He had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.

"My father already tried to adopt you," he said.

"B—but that was before," she said. "That was just as some girl. What if he doesn't approve of me dating his precious son. He is seriously an idiot-parent, you know?"

She clapped her hands over her mouth in embarrassment when she finished speaking.

Ren laughed.

"I know," he said, "And since he tried to adopt you, he'll be just as big an idiot-parent over you."

He took her hand and again began to lead her toward the phone.

"B—but what about your mother?" she asked, digging in her heals again. "She's just now getting you back. She's definitely going to think I'm some interloper trying to steal her son."

"Are you trying to steal her son?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"You're mean," Kyouko pouted.

"I'm sorry," he said, dropping the humor from his voice. Mothers were not something to joke about when it came to Kyouko. "She's not going to think that. She's going to love you if she doesn't already, and she's going to love you even more when she finds out how mad you got for her sake."

"Eh? You're going to tell her?" Kyouko asked.

He took a deep breath.

"Please, Kyouko?" he asked. "I need you."

He didn't even have to use his puppy dog eyes.

**AN: Recently, chapters keep bleeding into each other. I keep thinking, "Oh, I've got room for a little more," and then it becomes far too long and I have to break it up. At least it means I've got a head start on the next chapter :) Thanks so much for all the reviews yesterday! I will try to go through and answer them, but it may take a while. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	60. Chapter 60 Meeting the Parents by Phone

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren took Kyouko gently by the hand and lead her to President Takarada's desk. He picked up the secure line and dialed the number he knew by heart.

The phone didn't even finish a full ring when both parents picked up, fighting for the receiver.

"Hello? What is it? Has something happened to my son? Do I need to come over there?" Julie said.

"I'm sure it's fine," Kuu said to his wife, then speaking into the phone, "Should I buy the tickets?"

"Um, mom, dad, it's me," Kuon said, internally laughing at his parents' antics.

"Kuon! I'm so happy you called! I don't think I could have lasted another minute without talking to you," Julie said, letting out a pathetic cough.

Kyouko looked at Ren in concern.

He shook his head, rolled his eyes and mouthed the word "faking."

"I'm happy to talk to you too, mom," he said.

"But why are you calling on that kidnapper's line?" she asked.

Ren stifled a laugh.

"Well, actually, it's because I took your advice," he said. "Say hello, Kyouko."

"Um, h—hello," she greeted timidly.

"Son!" Kuu shouted, "or maybe I should start calling you my daughter now, just to minimize confusion?"

"Um—" Kyouko began.

"If you're going to do that in public, you'd better wait until they're married," Julie told Kuu. "You don't want to start some crazy rumor that your children are in an incestuous relationship."

"But she's my little girl," Kuu said. "If I have to wait for _him_ to marry her, It's going to be another seven years before I can call her my daughter."

"It's _not_ going to be seven years," Kuon assured them. "We just have to wait for Kyouko to turn twenty and then we can— Kyouko? Kyouko, are you alright?"

Kyouko was bright red and frozen solid.

His parents snickered in the background.

"Kyouko?" Kuon asked, beginning to panic.

"Um, that's the first time— I mean, you talked about it, but you never—" Kyouko stuttered.

"Ah, um, I was going to wait. I didn't want to rush you," he said, blushing all the brighter because his parents were listening in.

He knew Kyouko was the only girl he could ever marry. He knew he was going to marry her, but he'd never told her he intended to do it as soon as she reached the age of majority

"Ah, um, I—" Kyouko stuttered again.

"Mom, dad, we'll call you back," Kuon said.

"But I didn't even get a chance to say hello!" Julie protested.

"We'll call you back," he said.

He hung up the phone before either parent could utter another protest, and turned to Kyouko.

"Um, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to bring it up that way, and we—we don't have to do it then if you're not ready. I can wait."

Kyouko nodded.

"I—it's ok," she said. "Um, I was just surprised. I mean, when we talked about it during the interview, it seemed so far off. This is just the first time you've mentioned an actual date. It makes it seem more…real."

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, eagerly.

"Um, n—no," she said.

"Good," he said with a smile. "And just so you know, that wasn't my proposal."

"O—ok?" Kyouko said.

"I mean, I fully intend to marry you," he said, giving her a boyish grin, "but when I propose, it's not going to be a slip of the tongue."

Kyouko turned bright red.

"And I hope by then, the thought of marrying me won't be quite so frightening for you," he teased.

"Th—that's not it!" she said. "I—I'm not scared to marry you, it was just sudden."

"Does that mean you do want to marry me then?" he asked, grinning widely.

"I thought you weren't proposing," she said, glaring.

"I'm not," he said.

"Then, stop asking if I want to marry you," she said. "I'm saving my answer for the real thing."

"Is that a yes?" he asked.

"We'd better call your parents back," she said. "They must be worrying."

"They can wait," he said.

Mio handed him the phone.

"Your parents have been waiting for over seven years," she said in a low, dangerous voice, "please pay them the courtesy of treating their worries with more importance than your teasing."

Kuon swallowed hard. He had come up against many intimidating foes in his years of fighting, but he had met his match in Kyouko.

He took the phone, dialed, and Mio disappeared, leaving the girl he loved with a satisfied smile.

"Did she say yes?" two voices shouted as soon as the phone connected.

"Hello to you too," he said.

"I guess it's a no," Julie pouted.

"There there, dear," Kuu comforted her, "Even if she rejects Kuon, we can still adopt her."

"That wasn't a proposal," Kuon reminded his parents. He could practically hear them pouting.

"Then why not propose now?" Kuu asked.

"Dad," Kuon growled.

Kuu chuckled, and Julie took the phone.

"Is she there? I want to talk to her," she said.

Kyouko had been the one to suggest resuming the call, but when Julie asked for her, she paled.

Kuon reached over and took her hand.

"She's here," he said.

"Hello, Kyouko," Julie said. "It's lovely to meet you, dear. I only wish it could be in person."

"Um, thank you," Kyouko said. "I—it's nice to meet you too."

"I've been watching all your shows and reading all about you since I found out you and Kuon were dating," she said. "I had to start by re-watching _Dark Moon_ since I didn't have a copy of _Box R_, but I started watching as soon as it arrived, and I have been watching _Selling_ online. I must say, you are as stunning as you are versatile."

"I told you," Kuu said, in the background.

"Thank you very much!" Kyouko said, bowing even though Julie couldn't see her. "I feel that I still have a long way to go, but I will strive to be worthy of your praise."

Ren held in his laugh.

Julie did not.

For a moment, Kyouko froze.

"Oh, sweetie," Julie said, "you're already more than worthy of my praise or anyone else's for that matter."

Fat drops of saltwater began to fall from Kyouko's eyes, and she sniffled. Ren, pulled her into his arms and simply held her.

"Honey? What's wrong? Are you ok? Kuon, tell me what's happening," Julie asked.

"Everything is fine," Kuon said.

"Is she crying?" Julie asked, bewildered.

Kuon held Kyouko a little closer, as they heard Kuu whisper, enlightening his wife about the reason a mother's compliment might cause such a reaction.

"That's it! I'm going over there," Julie said, "if only to give Kyouko a hug."

"Eh? No, that's really not necessary!" Kyouko said, immediately wiping her tears. "I mean, thank you very much, but please don't come all the way over here just for my sake. I mean, of course you would be coming to see your son more than me, but please wait until he's ready. I'm fine, and Kuon-san still hasn't told the public about his identity. I wouldn't want to jeopardize that."

"It's ok, Kyouko," he said. "I think I'm going to do it."

"Really?" asked three voices.

"Yes. I don't want you to have to lie for me," he said to Kyouko, then to his parents, "and I don't think I could keep you two away much longer even if I tried."

"You make it sound like you don't want to see us," Julie pouted.

"I do want to see you, mom," Kuon said.

"What about me?" Kuu asked.

"You too, dad," Kuon said with a laugh.

"Should we book a flight?" his mother asked.

"Not yet," Kuon said, "but I'll let you know just as soon as we have everything organized."

Hi parents again pouted, exclaiming that he would take another seven years.

"Even if I wanted to take that long, which, by the way, I don't," he said, "Kyouko wouldn't let me. She scolded me soundly for leaving you both in the first place."

"Eh? But I didn't—I—"

"Ah, Kyouko! I love you more and more," Julie said, voice shaking.

"Ah, I—um—but—I—" Kyouko stuttered.

Kuon glanced at the clock.

"I'm sorry to have to cut things short again," Kuon said, "but if I don't get Kyouko home soon, I may not live to tell the public."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Um, I had a chat with the Taisho," Kuon said.

"Taisho?" his parents asked.

"I'll explain next time," he said.

He ended the call with his confused parents, promising to call again soon, and to have Kyouko there when he did.

He delivered Kyouko to the side door of The Darumaya just before eleven, trying not to think of the kiss they shared in The President's office. The Taisho would not likely approve of that.

Thankfully, it was the Okami-san who greeted them at the door.

"Thank you for bringing her back safely," she said, smiling at the young couple.

"I will never bring her back any other way," he vowed, giving a slight squeeze to the hand he was holding.

"I know. That's why I sent my husband to go buy some of the toothpaste we're not out of. I remember what it was like to be young," she said with a wink. "You two say a proper good night. I'm going to make some tea."

When Ren turned to look at the girl beside him, she was so extremely red, he almost thought that someone had switched her with a tomato while he wasn't looking.

"Well, shall we have a proper goodnight?" he asked seductively.

"Ah—I—um—" she stuttered.

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Good night, Kyouko," he said, eyes shining with adoration.

"G—good night," she replied, her eyes reflecting the same.

**AN: There's really not that much left that needs to happen. How many chapters it will take me to make that little bit happen, I do not know, but it's getting close. Thanks so much to everyone who has been/ is reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. I appreciate you all! It seems that reviews are still inaccessible at the moment, so I won't be able to reply until this site decides to be nice again, but feel free to leave me one anyway if you'd like to let me know what you think. I can still read them in my e-mail :D **


	61. Chapter 61 Plan and Action

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"So, you're ready to come clean," President Takarada said, tenting his fingers in front of his chin. He reached up and directed a spotlight like lamp in Ren's face. "Are you sure about that?"

The actor blinked and turned his face from the light.

"I thought you couldn't wait for the day when I came to tell you this," he said.

"Oh, I've been waiting," he said menacingly. "I've been waiting for a long time, but are you sure you're ready to deal with the fallout?"

"I'm sure," he said firmly.

"Good, I'm sure you are too. You're a resourceful young man," he said. Then, smile dropping, "But are you doing this because _you_ want to, or because _she_ wants you to?"

"I would be lying if I said she had nothing to do with it," Ren said. "But the decision was mine. There was not pressure from her to make it one way or another."

The President stared Ren down.

"And could you please stop playing good cop, bad cop by yourself?" he asked, redirecting the bright light's aim. "I know you can't let anyone else in on this meeting, but it's starting to get weird."

President Takarada laughed and switched the light off entirely. It had been a while since Kuon had surface voluntarily. Perhaps the boy really was ready.

"Well, we're going to have to do some strategizing," The President said. "You can't just dye your hair back, take out your contacts and start introducing yourself as Hizuri Kuon."

Kuon rolled his eyes.

"I am aware of that," he said.

"I forgot how rude you were," The President said, narrowing his eyes.

Kuon laughed.

"Ok, here's what we do," The President began.

* * *

><p>The strategy meet took several hours and ended up with the creation of a long drawn out plan. He could tell that The President had had some of it decided since the day he first arrived in Japan. Some of it, the parts involving Kyouko were new.<p>

He was hesitant to involve Kyouko, but The President pointed out that, as they were in a relationship, she would be involved no matter what. He still made the reservation that he would give the choice to Kyouko, and The President had agreed.

He was now, driving over to The Darumaya to pick her up and take her to their filming for _Selling_. It was going to be one of the last and most action packed shoots. Amid all the drama with their budding relationship, the filming of the series had flown by.

"You look happy," Ren said once he and Kyouko were both seated in his car and back on the road.

"Ah, well, I'm excited," Kyouko said. "I've never been in an action drama before, and up until now, you've been the one doing most of the action, though I suppose one little scene doesn't really count for much."

She ended with a pout.

"Who knows," he said, "this role may open more doors for you in the action arena."

Kyouko smiled.

"Is there something else?" he asked when she didn't calm down.

"Ah well, Julie-san—" she stopped and clapped both hands over her mouth.

Ren laughed.

"It's ok, Kyouko, you can talk about her. We're in a moving vehicle," he said with a smile, "In fact, I have a question for you concerning that later."

"Eh?" she asked.

"You go ahead," he said. "I'll tell you later."

"Ah, well, you know Julie-san has been e-mailing with me," she said, blushing, "and um…it's silly…"

Ren looked over at her. A little frown had replaced her excited expression.

"What's silly?" he asked. "Didn't something good happen."

"Ah, well, Um, yes, but it sounds silly when I say it out loud," she said.

"Try me," he said.

"Um, well, she noticed my necklace on _Box R_, and when I told her I made it, she complimented me. I mean, I know it's not a big deal, but, um, it just made me feel happy," she said, blushing and looking at her folded hands.

Ren smiled. He was happy his mother could make up for some of the maternal love Kyouko was lacking.

"That's not silly," Ren said. "I get happy when I get compliments too."

"Eh? Like when?"she asked.

"Like when you told me I was your goal in acting." he said, then grinning, "Though, I would have been happier about that if certain events hadn't occurred right afterward."

"I'm sorry!" Kyouko said.

"It's alright," he said, stopping her before she could maneuver around the seatbelt and into a dogeza. "We're together now. That's enough."

Kyouko blushed and was silent.

They soon arrived at the studio and both immediately went to get ready to film.

* * *

><p>Rika turned the corner at the back of the school building and stopped short. There stood the group of boys who had beaten her, her boyfriend, and the principal, speaking together in an intense conversation.<p>

"I swear I've been keeping her away from here," Hajime said. "She doesn't have a clue. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yeah, she just happened to be there and she just happens to be childhood friends with police detective," one of the thugs said.

"Quiet," the principal warned. "You three aren't even supposed to be here."

"Our customers wanted their fix," another said. "Not like we can make home deliveries."

"You know I can't protect you," he said. "If I could, I wouldn't have had to expel you in the first place. It's your own responsibility to keep from getting caught."

They all mumbled in the affirmative.

Rika, began to pull out her cell phone, carefully holding onto the bell on her decorative strap so that it wouldn't make noise as she began recording.

"Now, Andou. Don't get any bright ideas. I know you like that girl," he said.

Hajime began to protest, but the principal held up his hands and stopped him from speaking.

"And that's fine. You just keep dating her. As long as you make sure she doesn't see anything more, she won't come to any harm. If you try to play hero and report this, I'll place it all on you. I have pictures of you with this stuff, you know?" he said holding up a baggie full of a substance Rika guessed was drugs.

Hajime nodded.

"Good, then go pick up your girlfriend and make sure she stays away from here," the principal said.

Rika, retreated back bind the corner and fumbled with her cell phone, trying to send the video to Tasuke, but her charm strap slipped and the bell let out a little jingle.

She pressed herself against the wall, and stood stock still, but she had been heard.

The principal, snatched her phone before she could think to move.

"Take her to the shed," he said.

She screamed and tried to run, but one of the boys she'd had expelled and briefly jailed, held her, while another shoved a handkerchief in her mouth and tied another around it to gag her. "Andou," the principal said, "you will watch her and wait to hear from me. You know what will happen if you betray me."

The scene ended, the director approved it, and they moved on to the next.

When it aired, they would cut to a Tasuke sitting in his car in front of Rika's school, going over case files as he waited for her. The clip would end with him receiving the video and bolting from the car toward the school.

They would also show the principal looking at Rika's phone with a satisfied smile, before moving on to show Rika, tied to a chair in the shed, trying to talk her way free.

"I can help, Andou-kun," she said. "I heard what the principal said. I know you're not the one behind it. Just let me go find Tasuke."

The other boys laughed, and Hajime cast her a pleading look, before harshly replying, "Why would you help me? I only asked you out to keep an eye on you. Don't you want revenge?"

Rika picked up on his ploy and played along, allowing tears to stream down her face.

"But, I believe in you, Andou-kun. You're not bad. You really do love me, right?"

Hajime moved closer until he was standing over her.

"How stupid can you get?" he asked, slipping a key into her pocket.

He glanced at the door.

Rika began playing up her sobs.

"Do you want me to comfort you?" he asked, reaching his arms around her in what looked like a hug. He was really loosening the ropes.

"Kick me," he whispered.

Rika looked at him in confusion and he directed his gaze to the others, who were on the far end of the room, then to the door.

She kicked him, leapt from the chair and ran for the locked door.

The others began to chase her, but Hajime "accidentally" tipped over the chair she had been sitting on in his attempt to right himself, causing one of the boys to trip over it, and another to trip over his fallen comrade.

The remaining boy however, managed to avoid falling and ran after Rika.

She had just gotten the door unlocked when he caught up with her.

As the thug reached for her, she rounded on him, kicked him hard in the stomach and fled the shed.

The director reviewed the footage and had them do some minor adjustments before moving on.

The next scene showed Tasuke, running to meet Rika outside the shed, then taking down the three boys who had recovered. As Andou emerged from the shed, Tasuke began to charge him, bat Rika stopped him.

"He helped me escape," she said.

"I'll deal with you later," he growled, and headed off to find the principal.

The man was calmly sitting in his office when Tasuke arrived and placed him under arrest.

"I don't understand," he said.

"Save it," Tasuke said. "I have you on tape."

"But there was no—" he began.

"I deleted my outbox," Rika said, "After sending your little video to Tasuke."

The man fumbled, trying to make excuses, but they were futile and Tasuke took him to the station where he was charged for selling drugs and for blackmail.

"Perfect! We're so close," the director said, after a long day of filming.

They would have another day or two to finish off the last few scenes and wrap things up, and then the series would be complete.

* * *

><p>"So how was your first action scene?" Ren asked, driving her home.<p>

"So fun!" she said. "Though a little tiring. Are you alright? Your fighting was way more intense than mine."

"I'm fine," he assured her.

"Oh," Kyouko asked, remembering their earlier conversation, "What were you going to tell me?"

Ren grinned.

"I was going to ask, how you would feel about starting a rumor that we're engaged."

**AN: First, I have a sneaking suspicion that I am terrible at writing action scenes, so sorry for that. second, I have had a few people ask about Saena. I was not originally planning on writing her in, but if she's going to appear it will be coming up shortly. So, if you have feelings on the subject, if you would like to see her, or prefer not to, please let me know. Also be forewarned, my take on her is not mainstream. I reserve the right to make my own decision (things change in my head, so I can't guarantee my plans will make it in print) but input would be much appreciated. Third, I will explain more about _Selling_ later. And last, but of course not least, thank you all for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think, be it about the Saena issue, or anything else :D **


	62. Chapter 62 Rings

**I do not own Skip beat!**

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

Ren laughed.

"I talked to President Takarada this morning," he said. "It's part of his plan, but we won't do it if you don't want to."

Kyouko blinked over at him.

"Um, I don't…" she said, still confused.

"It's about revealing my identity," he clarified.

She finally understood…at least a little. This had to be one of The President's plots.

"If I reveal it now, it could detract from my current projects," Ren said. "Ours too."

"I see," she said. "But what does that have to do with e—engagement? Weren't we trying to end all the rumors?"

"We were," he said, hesitating.

"But?" she asked.

"If we wait until all of our projects are completed, and then make an announcement that there's going to be a press conference, they're going to speculate. If we can control what the rumors are about, hopefully we can keep them from digging anything up on their own, or coming to a worse conclusion than is true…or at least, that's what The President says," Ren explained.

"But won't it cause more problems later if we're dishonest now?" she asked. She didn't see how pretending to be engaged would help.

"Well, we wouldn't be making an engagement announcement or anything like that," he said. "We would just give hints. There are already rumors that we're engaged, so even without being dishonest, it wouldn't take much."

"Eh? There are?" Kyouko asked, "But I thought— I mean, when we explained—"

"There will always be rumors," Ren said, smiling apologetically. "We're famous."

Kyouko blushed, still unable to wrap her mind around the idea that she was famous.

"S—so what would we do?" she asked.

"Couple rings," he said with a grin.

"Eh?" she squeaked.

"Isn't it pretty commonplace?" he asked.

"Ah, um, well, it is," she stuttered, "but—"

"You don't want to wear my ring?" he asked, beginning the onslaught of puppies.

"Eh? No! No, I want to!" she said, turning away from his pleading expression. She couldn't take that face. Who knew what he'd have her agreeing to if she kept looking at him?

"Good," he said. "I can't wait to get my ring on your finger."

She looked back up at him and glared.

"Nothing expensive," she warned.

"But, what will people say if the number one actor in Japan buys his girlfriend some cheap couple ring?" he asked, again giving her puppy dog eyes.

"I don't care," she said, refusing to look. "I don't need something expensive, especially when it's just for the sake of starting a rumor."

Ren was silent.

Kyouko expected a protest. Ren seemed to like to spend money on her, and though she would gladly have him give up so easily, it was unlike him to do so.

She looked over to find him staring out the windshield, lips pressed into a thin line.

"Ren?" she asked.

He didn't answer.

"K—kuon?"

"It's not just for the sake of creating a rumor," he said.

"Eh? But you said—"

"You wouldn't want to have couple rings if there wasn't some other meaning?" he asked. "Just wanting to show that we're together isn't enough?"

"Eh? N—no. I mean— I just thought— You just said to start a rumor and— Everyone already knows we're together," she said, bewildered. "I didn't realize—"

"Kyouko, you do know that I want to marry you someday?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, hesitantly. It seemed like he was hoping for some other answer, but she didn't know what he wanted.

"So, even if it's convenient for my career, do you think I would ever give you a ring that was that meaningless?" he asked.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry."

Ren smiled at her.

"As long as you know," he said.

"But I still don't need an expensive ring," she said.

Ren looked at her in shock.

"Didn't I just—"

"Well, you want to m—marry me, right?" she asked, blushing bright red. It was even more embarrassing coming out of her mouth than rolling around in her head.

"Yes," he said.

"Um, when I turn twenty, right?" he asked, blushing harder.

"Yes," he said.

"Then it's not like I'll be wearing this ring for that long anyway," she said. "So, there's no need for it to be expensive if it's just going to get replaced in a couple years."

"Did you just say you'd marry me?" Ren asked.

"Oh, look, we're almost there," she said, pointing out The Darumaya in the distance.

"Kyouko," he said.

She could feel him looking at her, but she didn't want to see the expression on his face. Whatever it was, it was sure to be dangerous, and she was not going to end up in another article about roadside trysts.

"So, we just have the last few scenes of _Selling _tomorrow," she said, beginning to count appointments on her fingers, "then you have that Armandi shoot. I have another commercial, then Bridge Rock, and don't you have an interview?"

"Kyouko," he said.

"Tomorrow's going to be busy," she said, "Make sure to get right to sleep tonight."

"Kyouko," he said again, pulling into the parking lot of The Darumaya.

"Yes," she said, no longer able to avoid him. He always walked her to the door now.

"Was that a yes?" he asked.

"Just now?" she asked, "Yes, that's what I said."

Ren sighed.

"You know what I meant," he said.

"That's not fair," she said.

He cocked an eyebrow.

"You said you weren't proposing yet. You'll have to wait for your answer," she said, stepping out of the car.

Ren laughed.

"Just a hint then?" he asked, walking around to her side of the car.

"I've given too many hints already," she said, blushing. "You can wait."

"Fine," he said with a laugh. "I'll wait."

He took her hand and walked her to the door.

"Sorry," the Okami-san said, opening the door. They could hear loud chopping over the noise of the diners. "Couldn't send off the cook while we're still open."

She laughed and returned to serving customers in the dining room.

"Well, see you tomorrow," Ren said, keeping a respectable distance.

"See you tomorrow," Kyouko said.

Ren began to walk to his car, but before he had taken many steps, he stopped, turned back and rather loudly suggested, "Let's go look at rings soon."

A particularly fierce chop sounded from the kitchen and Ren turned back in the direction of his car with a "Good night."

Kyouko closed the door and let out a sigh. That man could be extremely confusing, but she supposed figuring him out was part of the fun. Even a lifetime with him would not be boring.

* * *

><p>Lory Takarada stared down at the stack of papers in front of him. There were piles of glossy catalogues displaying some of his favorite things. Not because they were beautiful and luxurious mind you, though that did tickle his cosplay-loving heart, but because they were symbols of his absolute favorite thing. He stacked the piles and moved them aside in favor of a less showy, but equally important pile of papers.<p>

"Hmm, which offer would be best?" he wondered, comparing as he read. "Which one would suit their image?"

He finally looked over the last sheet in the stack. He pulled out its corresponding catalogue from the other stack. The catalogue had fewer pages, and the description of the offer was less than spectacular, but there was something unique about it, and he had always liked giving chances to talented underdogs.

**AN: This chapter is kind of like insulation. It's fluffy and is inserted between (hopefully) more substantial materials ;) Also, if you did not already know, couple rings are pretty common in Asia, or at least Japan and Korea (the extent of my personal knowledge). They're sort of like a promise ring...but they don't so much mean "We're going to get married one day, but are not yet engaged," as "We're dating." LOOOOOOOOOOOOTS of couples wear them. Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	63. Chapter 63 Keyword: Hectic

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Today felt hectic. Even though they were only at their first job of the day, everyone was rushing around on set getting things ready for the last few scenes, making sure props were on standby in case they needed to go back and shoot a previous scene.

Kyouko was actually thankful for the business though. If everyone hadn't been rushing around the set, rushing her hither thither and yon, she probably would have had more time to think, and if she'd had more time to think, she would have been more sad than she already was.

She was always sad when things came to an end. She had just recently finished _Box R_. Amid all the media attention focused on her relationship with Ren, _Selling_, her job as Bo, LoveMe work, school work, and the commercials she'd taken on, she'd barely had a moment to think about it being over. Now that _Selling_ was coming to an end too, all the emotions from finishing _Box R_ were hitting her, along with her current feelings.

"Kyouko-san, you're needed in makeup," someone shouted amid the fray.

She shook the barely formed thoughts from her head and rushed off to where she was directed.

As she sat still in the makeup chair, she wished that they'd decided to film the action scenes last. The adrenaline would have helped her get through the day with dry eyes.

* * *

><p>The scene opened on Tasuke and Hajime sitting in an interrogation room. The two were silent, but both looked exhausted, as if they had just finished a long conversation.<p>

Suddenly, shouting was heard.

"You can't go in there!" someone called.

A shadow covered the small door's frosted glass window, and in burst Rika.

"Tasuke, you have to let him go!" she shouted.

"Rika-chan," said the young policeman who'd tried to stop her invasion. "You can't be here."

He placed a hand on her arm, trying to lead her away, but she roughly shook it off.

Tasuke sighed and put a hand up, signaling for the young man to let her be.

"You know I can't do that, Rika," Tasuke said. "Whether he's your boyfriend or not, whether he saved you or not, he's still involved in a major crime."

"But he didn't sell drugs. He was just sent to watch me, right, Andou-kun?" she asked, turning to the boy with a desperate expression.

"Rika-chan, I think it would be better if you didn't try to help me," he said.

The older man's expression was growing darker and darker.

"You can go now," Tasuke said to the younger policeman, "And close the door after you."

"But—" he protested.

"It's fine," he said.

The young man exited and Rika stepped further into the room.

"Rika," Tasuke said. "Andou-kun has been very cooperative, but I can't let him go. I just bring the bad guys in. I don't punish them or cut them deals. That's up to the D.A."

"But, Andou-kun, isn't a 'bad guy!'" Rika said.

Tasuke sighed.

"Rika, do you think your parents will let you keep dating him if he's let go? He's still involved with the people who hurt you! He's still taken part in illegal activity! Do you think that's what your parents want for you?" he snapped.

Rika looked up at Tasuke, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Tasuke clenched his fists.

"Do you love him that much?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

"You're a real idiot!" she shouted, and began to head for the door.

"Wait, wait, wait, Rika-chan," Hajime called.

She stopped, turned and looked at him.

Tasuke looked at him, or more aptly, glared at him too.

"You don't love me, right?" he said. "You never did."

She shook her head.

Tasuke stared.

"She's right," Hajime said. "I was dating her just to keep an eye on her."

Tasuke glared again.

"But she had me figured out from the start. Didn't you?" he asked, turning back to the girl he had come to love. "Why don't you tell him why you really agreed to date me."

"Counter spying," she said.

"Ok, the other reason," he said.

"What other reason?" she asked. "I just wanted to catch the people—"

Hajime stopped her with a look.

"Shut up," Rika said.

"It's not my secret to tell," Hajime said. "But I'd appreciate it if you would. I think he'd go a little easier on me."

Tasuke looked back and forth between the two like they were speaking an alien tongue.

"What is he talking about?" he asked.

"As if you don't know," she said, caustically.

"Rika," he said.

The girl blushed, every inch of exposed skin glowing red.

"You always treat me like a child," she said. "You act like I'm some little toddler who needs constant looking after. You're always talking about your duty to my parents. You don't see me as a woman. I— I wanted you to see me that way. I wanted you to get jealous, but you didn't even bat an eye."

Tasuke opened the door, called for another officer to watch Hajime, took Rika by the arm and lead her to his office.

He pulled her in, closed the door after him, and began.

"I didn't bat an eye? I treat you like a child? Rika, why do you think I watch over you so closely? Why do you think I feel responsible to your parents? Why do you— why do you think I hated Andou-kun so much?" he asked.

Rika looked at him in disbelief.

"The fact is, I'm an adult and a man of the law, so no matter what my feelings may be, I cannot do anything that appears even the slightest bit untoward," he said. "Do you understand, Rika?"

The girl gave him a hard stare.

He sighed.

"Rika, have you ever seen me date someone?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"You were in grade school then," he said. "It would have been creep if I felt the way then that I—"

He stopped, face growing red.

Rika smiled.

"Ok, I get it," she said. "You're forgiven, but go easy on Andou-kun. He did save the girl you…want to protect."

Rika threw a wink at him over her shoulder as she left his office.

The scene ended, the director reviewed it, and they moved on to the next.

* * *

><p>In the next scene, Tasuke worked out a deal for Andou, giving him a slap on the wrist in exchange for telling all he knew about the drug ring at the high school. The principal had had an affair with a student which had resulted in a child. The woman, now graduated, had been blackmailing him. At first, he had embezzled from the school, but when he was almost caught, he began the drug ring to pay back the school and keep paying off the woman he'd had the affair with. His attempt to keep his scandal secret had resulted in more crimes and heavier penalties.<p>

They shot a few more transition scenes, and the filming was completed. Unless the director later found any mistakes, this would be Ren and Kyouko's last day filming the drama together, leaving rather a large hole in their schedules that Yashiro was more than willing to fill with more roles together.

"You've got a lot of offers for roles together," Yashiro said, when they were back in the car.

"Yashiro-san, we can't do _every_ role together," she said, smiling. "The public will get bored of seeing us if we're always staring opposite each other."

"What about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers? Rock Hudson and Doris Day? Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy?" Yashiro asked, eyes glittering. "They did countless films together and no one got tired of it."

"Um, weren't… most of them not… actually…" Kyouko began.

"I know that," Yashiro said, "But it doesn't mean a real couple can't have a long and fruitful career together, doing film after film, gaining box office acclaim, winning the hearts of the public on screen and in private…"

Kyouko glanced at Ren.

"Don't worry, he'll snap out of it…eventually," Ren said.

Kyouko nodded and allowed Yashiro to ramble on and on about epic romances of the silver screen until they reached the location of her commercial shoot.

"I'll pick you up after my Armandi shoot's over," he said.

Kyouko nodded.

Yashiro came back to his professional self long enough to offer her a coherent goodbye.

The rest of the day was as hectic as it had begun. Ren had driven around, shuttling Kyouko to her jobs before going to his own. Then, finally he picked her up after both of their last jobs of the evening to take her home.

It wasn't until Kyouko was just about to tuck herself in for the night that she noticed she had a voicemail from President Takarada.

**AN: Ok, I have my buck teeth and glasses on for this, but I can't resist explaining Tasuke's name, since this is pretty much the last of his appearances. His name is Tasuke for two reasons. One, I like Japanese men's names that end in "suke." Two, his name is a pun on the word "help." It would have a different spelling, but you add "te" to the end (tasukete) and it means help/help me. Ok, buck teeth and glasses off. Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	64. Chapter 64 Two Yeses

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kyouko stared at her phone for a while, debating whether to call back now or in the morning. It was rather late, and all of Kyouko's ingrained politeness protested against the idea of returning a call so late, but when she listened to the voicemail The President had left, he'd simply said to call back, without specifying a time. The President _did_ seem to keep rather odd hours, and it might be something important, so she gave in and returned the call.

"Ah, Mogami-san, I'm glad you called back," The President said.

"Ah, um, I'm sorry for calling so late," she said. "I didn't notice your call until I got home."

"Nonsense! There's no reason to be sorry," he said, sounding, if possible, even more unusually cheerful than he always was.

"Um, was there something…" she reminded him.

"Ah,! Yes, yes! The reason for my call," he said with a chuckle. "Did Ren talk to you about the next step?"

"Um, about the r—rings?" she asked.

"Yes!" he said exuberantly. "And what do you think? Brilliant plan, is it not?"

"Um…yes…" she said hesitantly.

She couldn't exactly tell the president of the company that she worked for that she didn't see the need for his plan and thought it would only add unnecessary drama. She was willing to take part, so it wasn't necessary to enlighten him anyway.

"So, you'll do it?" he said.

"Um, it's just wearing couple rings, right?" she asked.

This was Lory Takarada she was talking to. Nothing was ever that simple.

"Ah, well, that's why I called you," he said. "You and Ren have actually been receiving tons of offers to be spokespersons for all sorts of couples' products."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. "But Sawara-san hasn't said anything to me about—"

"I've had them all directed straight to me," said The President. "I wanted to hand select the offers you two are presented with. You are fast becoming the most well known couple in Japan. You are going to be a beacon of love, a representative of all that that beautiful emotion can entail. You must shape the image of love you portray by carefully selecting the offers that will shine the brightest and give the greatest hope to all the lovelorn people of Japan, and the world."

"I…see…" Kyouko said.

"Which brings me to the reason for my call," he said. "I want you and Ren to appear in a commercial for couples' jewelry and choose your rings from the company whose offer you accept. There are many different offers, but I would like you to come in early tomorrow to meet up with a small upstart jewelry company."

Kyouko liked the sound of the words "small" and "upstart." If they chose rings from such a company, perhaps they would not be as heinously expensive as whatever Ren was likely to choose. She knew the costs of some of the branded accessories Ren used, and now that Kanae had enlightened her, she knew the approximate cost of Princess Rosa. If Ren had his way, there was no way she would get off with something non-branded, silver, or devoid of stones.

"Um, what time?" Kyouko asked. "Does Ren know?"

"Ah, I've just finished speaking with Ren," The President said. He specified the time that Ren would pick her up, and after a bit more rambling about the beacon of love she and Ren would become, President Takarada let her get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Kyouko woke up bright and early the next day and headed downstairs to help with the daily preparations before Ren picked her up.<p>

"Good morning," she said, smiling at the Okami-san as she put on an apron.

"Good morning, Kyouko-chan," the older woman said, returning the smile with a warm one of her own. "You seem to be in a good mood this morning."

"Do I?" Kyouko asked.

"Do you have fun plans today?" she asked.

"Ah, um, well, mostly just work related things," she said, blushing.

They weren't actually picking the rings today. Meeting with the company was for work.

The Okami-san smiled and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "How are things going with Tsuruga-san?"

Kyouko blushed furiously.

"Th—they're going well," she stuttered.

"That's good to hear," she said.

Kyouko nodded and turned to leave, but the Okami-san stopped her.

"Um, Kyouko-chan, I know you have a busy schedule, but maybe the next time the shop is closed, you could bring Tsuruga-san home for dinner," she nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen. "_He_ is getting a little…concerned."

"Eh?" Kyouko said, blushing both at the reference to The Darumaya as her home, and at the Taisho's feelings.

"He would probably never say anything to you, Kyouko-chan, but he cares for you deeply. W—we both do," the Okami-san said, a little moisture gathering in her eyes. "Oh, now off to the kitchen with you. He's missed cooking with you recently."

Kyouko gave a sharp nod, and did as she was told, moisture shining in her own eyes as well.

"Good morning," Kyouko said, cheerfully greeting the taciturn Taisho.

The man cracked a slight smiled, grunted a "Good morning," and pointed out things that Kyouko could, peel, chop, sauté, and otherwise do to help prepare for the opening of the Restaurant.

She hung her apron back up, ate a small breakfast and was ready to go by the time Ren arrived.

"I'm leaving," Kyouko called. "See you tonight."

"Be safe," the Okami-san called after her as she joined Ren at the door.

The girl nodded and left.

* * *

><p>The distance to LME was short, and soon the couple was inside The President's office, meeting with the representatives from the small jewelry company.<p>

"Ren, Kyouko," The President said, "This is Oonori Masataka-san, owner of Oonori Custom Fine Jewelry."

Ren and Kyouko bowed in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a smile.

Ren moved a little closer and found Kyouko's hand.

The man smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you too," he said, smile growing wide, "And please pardon my enthusiasm, but this is just what I've been hoping for. You two are absolutely perfect, and though I never thought I would have the opportunity to work with you, I'm glad I sent our offer anyway."

"Um, thank you," Kyouko said, blushing at the high praise. She was a bit bewildered, not knowing yet exactly what he or The President had in mind.

"When I first saw the picture of you two," he said, "I knew it had to be you. Even though it seems like a pipedream for a company such as mine, I think you two portray just the image I'm hoping to convey with my jewelry and accessories."

Kyouko blushed again. That picture still embarrassed her. Unless the image he was trying to convey with his jewelry was 'sleepy,' she didn't see how that picture would have caught his attention so much.

The man pulled out a small case and opened it on the table before them. It was a jewelry case, line with black velvet. A few pieces lay shining on the dark fabric.

"I've brought a few pieces with me. We do make readymade jewelry, but every piece is customizable. We do engravings. We can make adjustments, and of course, we can start from scratch and make completely unique pieces for each individual that walks through our doors," he said, gesturing to the pieces and taking out a few items as he spoke. "The main idea I want to convey through my jewelry is that it is not just metal and stones, but a symbol of the connection between the giver and receiver, or between the couple who wears a set. Therefore, each piece should convey that message."

Kyouko was surprised. Oonori Masataka's enthusiasm for his craft and the emotions it symbolized was very much akin to The President's attitude. As such, she would have expected the pieces to be big, gaudy and encrusted with jewels of all shades of pink and red. In actuality, the pieces were elegant, simple, minimalistic.

"The pieces I brought today were actually inspired by the two of you," Masataka said. "I would be honored if you would be willing to try them on and allow me to hear your opinion."

Kyouko hesitated, but Ren reached over, picked up a delicate bangle with a subtly engraved flower and vine pattern and slipped in onto her wrist.

"It suits you," he said with a smile.

Kyouko blushed and admitted that she found it quite pretty.

Masataka smiled.

Both Ren and Kyouko tried on each of the pieces the jewelry maker had brought for them, and approved of them.

"Well then," The President said, finally speaking, "How would you feel about representing Oonori-san's company in a commercial, and by choosing your rings from amongst his designs?"

Ren smiled and looked questioningly at Kyouko.

"Ah, um, I—I would be honored," she said.

Ren smiled.

"We'd love to," he said.

Masataka's face lit up into a huge smile and he bowed so far that his forehead almost touched his knees.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity," he said, reaching across and shaking Kyouko's then Ren's hand.

"Well, I will put you in touch with Ren's manager and he will work out a time with you," The President said.

The man nodded enthusiastically, still smiling wide over his good fortune.

Ren and Kyouko left shortly after to go to their normally scheduled jobs. Yashiro was already on the phone with Masataka, flipping through planner pages and scribbling away.

"Um, Ren?" Kyouko asked, suddenly remembering her conversation with the Okami-san from earlier that morning.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Um, since our schedules are a little bit lighter, um, if it's not too much trouble, and, um, if you happen to be free on that evening, um, would you, maybe…like to have dinner with The Okami-san, Taisho and me next Thursday night?"

Yashiro perked up, flipped pages, and called, "You're free," before Ren even had a chance to answer.

Kyouko blushed at being overheard by Ren's manager, but Ren's smile soon dispelled her embarrassment.

"I would love to," he said.

**AN: Today was a good end of the year. I managed to spill almost the entire contents of my water bottle into my purse, wherein resides my electronic Japanese dictionary, without harming it in any way. Hope this is an omen for next year! I hope everyone's 2011 has been wonderful and that your 2012 is even better! Happy New Year! And, as always, thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	65. Chapter 65 Dinner and Rings

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Ren and Kyouko each had their own commitments. As always, Ren had modeling shoots and commercials. Kyouko had her regular spot on Bridge Rock, LoveMe work, and despite still being physically absent from school, she had to keep up with her lessons. The filming for _Selling_ had been completed, which left only promotions for the show. The promotions took far less time than the actual filming, but with the addition of the jewelry commercial and other preparations for Ren's reveal, the balance of free time was hardly in their favor.

Ren's very talented, and especially recently, very overworked manager, however was able to keep his Charge's Thursday evening free, and so the two young people kept their appointment to dine with the Darumaya couple on the day the shop was closed.

The couple had been meeting with Oonori Masataka since the beginning of the week. They had met several times. First, to look at examples of rings, materials, styles, designs, next to give a final decision on all or those preferences and actually help in the design process, and finally to pick up the finished rings.

They had been finished in time to be worn to Thursday's interview with the full cast of _Selling_. They didn't mention the rings, but of course, the interviewer was quick to notice. They made mention of the brand, briefly mentioned that the public would soon learn more about the rings, and then pointed the interviewers attention back to the drama.

The day's jobs had been kept on schedule, but the events had been tiring, and by the time the day was over, they were glad to be able to have a private dinner with the Darumaya couple. Or at least, Kyouko was. Ren had mixed feelings about the meeting.

"Good evening," the Okami-san greeted as the couple appeared at the side door, as usual. "Come in. I'm so glad you could make it, Tsuruga-san. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come to our home."

"No, thank you for having me," Ren said, "You have both been such an important part of Kyouko's life, I'm thankful to you for giving me the opportunity to share in it."

The Okami-san blushed and disclaimed and invited the two to step inside.

"Ah, this is for you," he said, handing the Okami-san a bouquet of flowers.

They had stopped by after the interview to pick up the flowers. Normally, Ren would have brought something like a bottle of wine, but as Kyouko was underage, and the only interest he knew of the Taisho's was knives, he thought that flowers would be the best bet.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed. "They're lovely. I'll just go put them in water."

She went to take care of the flowers, and Kyouko lead Ren into the dining room, where the Taisho was just placing the food on the table.

"Good evening," Ren greeted, bowing low to show his respect.

"Evening," he returned with a nod.

The Okami-san returned and place the flowers on the table.

"Aren't they lovely?" she asked her husband. "It was so thoughtful."

The Taisho glanced from the flowers to Ren without batting an eye.

"Well, shall we eat?" The Okami-san asked. "It's been such a long time since we've gotten to have dinner with Kyouko-chan, and it's wonderful that you could join us this time too, Tsuruga-san. Isn't it, dear?"

The Taisho gave a noncommittal grunt.

They all sat down, uttered their thanks for their meal and began eating.

"Your cooking is always the best," Kyouko said, eating with her usual zealousness.

The Taisho gave a small smile and took a bit of his own food.

"Yes," Ren said. "It's delicious."

The Taisho eyed Ren's plate, and the actor took another bite.

The food was good, but the look of Ren's plate didn't give much indication. He had been given a portion befitting a man of his stature, not one befitting his appetite, so though he was enjoying the food, it looked like he had eaten very little.

Kyouko too eyed Ren's plate and saved Ren from the Taisho's judging glare by exclaiming, "Wow, you really are eating! Usually, I have to scold him in order to get him to take his meals properly. I wish he would always eat this much."

"Not all cooking is this good," Ren explained, "and I don't often have much of an appetite."

"It's a waste," the Taisho said. "Kyouko-chan is an excellent cook."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked, blushing at the complement and rushing to defend Ren. "No, he does eat what I make him."

"Yes," Ren said, swallowing hard, "I have been privileged to have Kyouko cook for me on multiple occasions, and I must say hers is some of the only cooking I always thoroughly enjoy, even if I'm not able to eat it in very large portions."

"Good," the Taisho said, taking a sip of his tea.

Kyouko lifted her glass to take a sip as well, and the Taisho's eyes landed on her ring. He looked over at Ren and saw a matching piece of jewelry.

"Are you engaged?" he asked, voice low and even.

Kyouko's face flamed red and she began a stream of denials.

"Ah, no, they're just couple rings," she said, pulling her left hand under the table. "We're not engaged. W—we're doing a jewelry commercial, and they made them custom for us and they want us to wear them and, um…"

"A ring for such a flimsy relationship…" the Taisho said.

Kyouko was bewildered.

"Um, it—it's not—"

"Oh, hush!" the Okami-san said. "You're just old fashioned. Couples' rings are very popular, and Kyouko-chan and Tsuruga-san are very popular celebrities. Don't mind him."

"No," Ren said. "I understand. I know that to many couples, rings are just an accessory. They may not be engagement rings, but to us, they are more than simple pieces of jewelry."

The Taisho's interest was piqued.

"The maker of these rings wanted to show that they are not accessories, but symbols of the connection between two people, and we are proud to share those feelings," Ren said. "Kyouko is extremely important to me, and I hope to one day, replace this symbol of our connection with another symbol of an even stronger connection."

Kyouko blushed even brighter.

The Taisho gave the barest hint of a smile.

"Well, it's good that you're serious," he said.

"Stop teasing and eat your dinner," the Okami-san said, swatting her husband on the arm.

"It's not teasing," the man said, but he took a bite of his dinner anyway.

Ren wasn't sure if he was off the hook yet, but though the Taisho did not become particularly more friendly, and his features did not seem to relax much, some of the severity seemed to have left his gaze, and after they had finished dinner, and it was time for Ren to leave, the man disappeared into the kitchen of his own volition, the only reminder of his presence, the swishing sound of a knife being sharpened.

The man was certainly protective of Kyouko, but Ren didn't blame him. He knew the feeling.

**AN: Short chapter :( I have reaffirmed the fact that I am extremely easily distracted. I spent upwards of an hour attempting one paragraph, while my best friend sat on one side of me and my mother de-decorated our Christmas tree on the other. After my friend left and I secluded myself, I could finally write! Hope everyone had a safe and fun New Years Eve and New Years Day. Happy New Year! Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D **


	66. Chapter 66 Safety Net

**I don not own Skip Beat!**

Working on the commercial had been a much longer process than Kyouko had anticipated. She hadn't known exactly what sort of commercial they would be filming before they did it, only that it would involve couple rings and that she and Ren would be playing a couple. She did not realize that they would be playing multiple couples, a sales associate and people passing on the street.

She liked the idea though. Despite falling in love, Kyouko had still not returned entirely to her former self. She could do a sweet romance scene now without gagging and reaching for a soap box to stand on so she could proclaim the nonexistence of such feelings in real life, but sappy romance was still not her first choice. Kyouko was captivated by the unique and meaningful, and this commercial fit the bill.

It was meant to showcase the uniqueness of each couple's relationship.

The filming had taken quite a while. Ren and Kyouko had had to film each part separately so that it could be joined together later. The last part was more traditional, and went much faster.

"Thank you so much, for your hard work and for being willing to represent my company," Masataka said, once the filming was finished.

"Not at all," Kyouko said. "thank you for the opportunity. I've never done anything like this before."

"I'm not sure how it will turn out once everything is put together," Masataka said, "but it will probably be better than it was in my head."

"This was your idea?" Ren asked.

"Ah, well, yes," he said. "I just had the thought one day. People are unique. Each couple's relationship is unique. What would the world be like if all the people were as similar as all the mass produced jewelry out there?"

"You are really passionate about your work," she said.

He laughed.

"Birds of a feather," he said. "Why do you think I wanted you two to do this commercial so badly? Just by looking at your work, you can see that you know passion for your craft, and by seeing you together, you can see the passion you have for each other. I want my jewelry to speak that passion to people."

Kyouko blushed.

"Ah, about the rings," she said, "They're truly exquisite, but um, we…"

"Is there something wrong with them?" Masataka asked.

"No! Not at all!" Kyouko said. "It's just that, I know we were going to get them from you anyway, but things got mixed up in the rush with the commercial and everything, so we haven't…"

"They are my thanks to you," Masataka said, finally understanding where Kyouko was going. "You have both inspired me, and now you have done me the honor of representing my company. It is the least I could do."

"Thank you," Ren said. "It is an honor to be representing your company."

Since Ren had accepted, there was nothing Kyouko could do but bow and thank the man profusely.

He claimed all the honor and all the pleasure of having the couple wear the rings for himself.

Kyouko and Ren headed back to LME shortly after, mobbed by paparazzi as they left the studio, and as they arrived at their place of employment.

Flashing the rings at the cast wide interview of _Selling_ had had the intended effect. The media was all over them once again, trying to find out if they were engaged. A few of the less reputable magazines were even suggesting that there would soon be a shotgun wedding.

The first time Kyouko had seen such a suggestion, her face had turned such a dark shade of red that it had taken her almost an hour to get back to her usual color.

Kanae's suggestion of "Just don't get pregnant and the rumor will go away," did not help matters much.

Kyouko was worried for Ren, whose anxiety on the subject seemed to be mounting, no matter how much he tried to hide it, but she would be glad when things were in the open and she didn't have to hear such things said about herself anymore.

They were on the way to a meeting with President Takarada now. As soon as they were each finished with their current jobs, Ren would go public. The President was of course, orchestrating things, and he had asked them to meet with him one last time before he announced the upcoming press conference.

When they arrived on The President's floor, Kyouko was surprised to be asked to wait while he talked to Ren first. Ren had said he'd told her everything, so she didn't understand what secret she was being kept from, but she sat in the chair outside The President's office and waited anyway.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ren himself came out of The President's office and told Kyouko that the man wanted to speak with her alone.

"Alright," she said, giving Ren a quizzical look as she passed him and entered the office.

"Mogami-kun," The President greeted as Kyouko stepped inside his office.

"Good evening, President Takarada," Kyouko greeted with a bow.

"Have a seat," he said.

She did as she was bid. Had his already commanding presence, and that fact that he was her boss not been enough, the authoritative air produced by his five star general's uniform would have made wish to comply.

"I've called you here because we are about to pass the point of no return," he said.

Kyouko furrowed her brow in confusion.

"So, Mogami-kun, should we return?" he asked.

"President?" She asked. She didn't know what she was being asked to return to, but somehow she felt compelled to say no.

Her life was crazier than it had ever been. There were annoying things being said about her, but though it was on a grander scale than in middle school, it was nothing she wasn't used to. There was nothing she could think of that she would want to go back to.

"Mogami-kun, what if you were asked to become a security net?" The President asked.

"Security net?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, a security net," he said. "Right now, Ren and Kuon are on each side of a cliff, walking a tightrope towards one another. They want to meet, but it's quite a deep canyon, and if one of them falls before they are able to meet, they will both be killed. Unless there is a safety net."

"What do I have to do?" Kyouko asked.

"Mogami-kun, are you willing to follow through on the rumors?"

"I'm not getting pregnant," Kyouko said, blushing furiously.

The President laughed.

"I meant the engagement," he said.

"Oh," Kyouko said, blushing harder.

The President cleared his throat. The smile disappeared from his face and he began.

"They have hated each other for many years," The President said. "Kuon and Ren. It's not that easy to make enemies into one person."

"But how would—"

"They have one thing in common," he said.

"Me," Kyouko breathed.

The President nodded.

"If he can't be himself, if he chooses one or the other in the middle of a Press conference…"

"We'll need a reason for calling it," Kyouko said.

"Yes," The President said.

"An engagement announcement," Kyouko said.

"Yes," The President said.

Kyouko let it all sink in. If the man she loved couldn't reveal himself when the time came and there was no plausible excuse for calling a press conference, the press would start digging, and his secret could be revealed anyway, only not with as gentle an explanation as she had been given.

"He is determined to do it," The President said. "as scared as he is."

"I know," Kyouko said.

She remembered the day he had revealed himself to her, how scared he had seemed. She hadn't asked him to reveal it to the rest of the world, but he'd told her he didn't want her to have to lie for him. He was doing it for her.

"I don't have to announce it," The President said, "and you don't have to be there."

"No," Kyouko said. "I can be a safety net."

The President's grim expression relaxed. He returned to his normal happy expression, retrieved a folder from a desk drawer and handed it to Kyouko.

"Well, we'll hope you don't have to use it, but just in case," he said. "You'll have some extra meetings with Toda-san, in case the conference goes that way. This will be secret from Ren, of course."

Kyouko nodded, and placed the folder in her bag.

"What do I tell him about what we discussed?" she asked.

"Plans for your graduation from LoveMe," he said with a smile. "This is your last assignment."

"Eh? But I've done nothing," she said.

"You've shown the ability for platonic love almost from the day you joined LME. You've shown your love for your craft since you began acting. You showed your ability to love yourself when you defended yourself to Fuwa-kun, and you showed your ability to love romantically when you accepted Ren and offered to sacrifice your own interests for him," The President said. "That is not nothing."

Kyouko blinked in disbelief.

"Now, go have a date or something," The President said with a grin. "It may be your last chance for a while."

Kyouko smiled brightly, bowed and left The President's office.

"You look happy," Ren observed.

"I'm graduating LoveMe," Kyouko said. "President Takarada suggested we have a date to celebrate."

"You know, that sounds like a perfect idea," he said, taking her hand as they headed back to his car.

Kyouko covertly observed Ren out of the corner of her eye and gave his hand a little squeeze. She was happy to be graduating LoveMe, but it was thanks in large part to the man beside her, and she could not forget his anxieties. She would try to relieve them as much as she could, but if she couldn't, if he fell, she would catch him, and hold him until he could rise again.

**AN: I apologize in advance for any horrible typos or poor word choice in this chapter. It was written with a migraine, and thus half of my vocabulary and sight missing. I will try and check it before posting the next chapter, but if you tell me if you find something, it will make fixing it faster. I'm going to go curl up in a dark cave now, but before I go, I want to let you know that the commercial is already written. It just didn't fit in this chapter. Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D **


	67. Chapter 67 Commercial and Effect

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

The advertisement for a facial cleanser faded from the tall building's video billboard, and the screen went black, before it again lit up and another commercial began. The commercial started by showing the back view of Ren and Kyouko holding hands as they entered a shop. The shop was brightly lit with glittering jewelry on every shelf. It looked impressive, but if the viewer looked closer, they would see that though all the necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings shone brightly, they were all the same. There were duplicates of one style filling each shelf and sparkling inside each glass case.

The camera followed as the couple entered the shop, and soon, they were greeted by a salesgirl, played by Kyouko. She offered to help the couple, and they asked to see couples' rings. Kyouko pulled a tray of rings, identical to one another and all the other rings on display, from under the glass case, and Ren and the Kyouko he had accompanied tried on many of the identical rings from the tray, as if there was a difference. They then bought a pair, and left.

Soon, another Ren and Kyouko entered the store, and asked the Kyouko sales girl to show them rings. While they were looking, another Ren and Kyouko came into the store and began browsing the shelves. Eventually the first couple, again bought identical rings, and left, making room for the recently arrived couple to do the same.

The camera then panned out to show couple after couple, all played by Ren and Kyouko, all wearing the same rings, passing the shop.

The view of many identical couples faded out and what came back into view was the same beginning scene. A couple played by Ren and Kyouko, walked into the shop, this time containing many different pieces of jewelry. They walked up to the counter where they were greeted by a sales girl, not played by Kyouko, and were shown many different types of rings.

Ren and Kyouko ended up with the rings that had been especially designed for them. When they exited the shop, they passed by different couples, all wearing unique rings.

The screen then froze on the image of Ren and Kyouko's joined hands, and the tagline, "Your relationship is special, shouldn't its symbol be special too?" appeared on the screen, as well at the business's name, website, phone number and address.

Most people had continued about their day, only glancing up at the screen as they passed, but many had also taken note of the commercial, and began asking questions and forming their own answers.

The commercial was not only aired in public, but also across television sets throughout the Tokyo area.

"Are those really just couple rings?," "Are those really just for the advertisement?," and "Weren't they wearing them in that interview too?" were just some of the questions the public was asking.

The media began to kick up a fuss again, putting the public's questions, photographs of the couple and their rings, as well as their own formulated answers into print.

"The couple who claimed to be 'taking it slow' at their first interview as a couple, seems to be speeding along," one paper reported.

"Couple rings or engagement rings?" asked another.

The atmosphere was charged and ready when President Takarada announced that there would be a press conference the likes of which had never been seen before.

Kyouko knew it was necessary in order to get the most coverage of the event without compromising Ren's secret early, but all the media attention was still turning her into a nervous wreck. She and Ren had almost been spotted by the paparazzi when he was taking her home one evening. After driving around for over an hour, they had eventually lost them, but the incident had spurred Kyouko into always carrying an overnight bag with her, which she was making use of tonight.

"It's a good thing I had this security system installed," Kanae said. "If it's tough enough to keep my family out, it will certainly do for those pitiful little men with cameras."

"Thanks again for letting me stay, Mouko-san," Kyouko said. "I'm sorry for imposing on you."

"It's fine," Kanae said. "It's not like it doesn't have any benefit. As an actress, the more exposure I get the better. I'm bound to end up in a few shots, and you can't let them impede the business of the couple you're staying with."

"You're the best, Mouko-san!" Kyouko said, smiling brightly. She refrained from hugging, as Kanae had threatened to do permanent damage to her face if it was ever caught on film.

"I have ulterior motives," she said, punching in the security code to her building.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

Kanae motioned for her to step inside with a beautiful smile, meant for the cameras.

When the door was safely closed, Kanae turned a menacing expression on Kyouko.

"You are going to tell me exactly what's going on," she said.

"M—mouko…san?" Kyouko asked, shrinking against the door.

"I am your best friend, and the only thing I barely know more than the people who've interviewed you!" Kanae shouted.

"Ah, um, I—" Kyouko stuttered.

There was so much she wanted to tell Kanae, but much of it wasn't hers to tell.

"I see," Kanae said.

She coldly stared at Kyouko and walked past her into the room.

"N—no, Mouko-san!" Kyouko called, tears filling her eyes, "You don't understand, I—"

"Then make me understand," Kanae said, turning. "I'm listening."

Kyouko dropped her bag and launched herself at her friend, knocking them both onto the couch.

"Ow! What did I tell you about an actress's body?" Kanae asked.

"I'm sorry, Mouko-san," Kyouko said, moving off of her friend and seating herself properly on the couch.

"So, what's really going on?" Kanae asked. "What's with this grand press conference? You're not really engaged, are you?"

Kyouko hesitated. Ren was determined. In all likelihood, she would not have to announce their engagement, but she couldn't tell Kanae what the real announcement was, and if she _did_ have to, she wouldn't be able to explain this to Kanae later.

"Not yet," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kanae asked.

"I— I don't know," Kyouko said.

"Kyouko?" Kanae practically growled.

"Mouko-san, I would tell you every secret I have," Kyouko said. "But this…"

"So it's his secret?" Kanae asked.

Kyouko didn't move a muscle or bat an eye.

"Fine," Kanae said, rolling her eyes, "Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

"Oh, um, The President said after the press conference, I'll be graduating from LoveMe," Kyouko said, smiling.

"What?" Kanae shouted, "When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me right away? What did you have to do to escape this curse?"

Kyouko explained The President's words about loving friends, herself, and Ren, glossing over the part about accepting Kuon.

"Mou! Is that what it takes to get out?" she asked. "I'm getting a boyfriend."

"Um, Mouko-san, I don't think President Takarada would let you graduate with that motive…" Kyouko said.

"You're right. My problem is family love anyway. Does that mean I'm stuck in this section until I have a kid?" Kanae asked, face contorting in disgust.

Kyouko laughed.

"I think you'd make a good mother, Mouko-san," Kyouko said. "You've definitely got the discipline part down."

Kanae glared and Kyouko laughed.

The best friends spent the rest of the evening together, talking about life, love, well, Kyouko's love, and the careers they both treasured so much.

The morning came all too soon, and with it, Ren arrived to pick up Kyouko.

With the filming of the jewelry commercial ended most of Ren and Kyouko's commitments. Neither had had such a free schedule since entering show business. The next few days were meant for them to relax, practice and prepare themselves for the press conference. Today, they had a meeting with Chiaki to go over the general procedure of a press conference, mostly for Kyouko's benefit.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Kotonami-san," Ren said, when Kanae opened the door.<p>

"Good morning," she said, pleasantly enough.

Kyouko was in the kitchen, just putting away the clean dishes after breakfast, within hearing distance.

"Is that Ren? I'll be right there! I have to get my bag," Kyouko called.

Kanae stepped back and let Ren in.

She could be hear Kyouko in the bedroom, zipping her overnight bag.

"I'll make this quick," Kanae said. "She wouldn't tell me what's going on, but I know something's up, so I'm just letting you know if you ever hurt her, I will dismember you."

Ren smiled.

"Thank you for being such a good friend to her," he said.

"I'm not doing it for you," she growled.

"I know," he said.

"Know what?" Kyouko asked, emerging from the bedroom, bag in hand.

"You have a really amazing best friend," Ren said, smiling.

Kanae went white. She did not want Ren revealing her threat.

"Isn't she? She's beautiful and talented and smart and…" Kyouko rambled, while Ren listened indulgently with an enamored smile on his face.

Kyouko took a break from extolling Kanae's virtues just long enough to bid her goodbye, but Kanae heard her resume as the couple walked to Ren's car.

She rolled her eyes. Well, at least she didn't have to worry about Kyouko not caring about her anymore just because she got a boyfriend.

It seemed that now, she had plenty of love to go around. She only hope it wouldn't again be wasted on a man who wasn't good enough for her.

**AN: The end is nigh! Life is presenting issues again, but there should really just be a few chapters left, so I will try my absolute best to finish this before I'm unable to write. I will not leave it unfinished for a long period of time or anything like that, but there may be a couple of days between chapters instead of every day. Again, I will try to post like usual, but I don't want this to end poorly because I'm forcing myself to write while distracted. Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. I may not be able to get beck to you right away for a while, but I appreciate you all so much! Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	68. Chapter 68 The Night Before

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

They had practiced enough recently for Kyouko to be quite confident in her ability to lead any press conference she might ever have the occasion to take part in. She had had extra lessons with Chiaki, in which she had learned to answer questions about marriage, about why they had gone from taking things slowly to getting engaged. She had even learned to field the questions about pregnancy, albeit after many blushing, stuttering, unconvincing beginning attempts.

She was sure that Chiaki knew there was something going on, but she never once asked why Ren wasn't present or why Kyouko was answering these questions herself. Kyouko was extremely grateful for that. She hadn't realized how much she hated having to cover things up until she'd had to do it. She could only imagine how hard it was for Kuon.

Kyouko reached for her phone as it began to buzz, and smiled when the display named just the man she'd been thinking about.

"Hello," she answered.

"Hi," came his deep voice.

She smiled.

"What are you up to this evening?" he asked.

She glanced at the three week's worth of homework she had finished in advance sitting on her table, her alphabetized books, and her spotless room. After the near spotting by the paparazzi, she wasn't allowed to be seen at the restaurant during business hours, even in the kitchen, so she couldn't help there.

"Absolutely nothing," she said.

"Then how about a drive?" he asked.

"Eh? But what about your car? It's pretty recognizable," Kyouko said.

"I'll park a little ways away and we can walk to the car," he said. "If you bundle yourself up, you won't get recognized on the way."

"But isn't it still a little…" she searched for the word, dangerous? Reckless?

"I want to see you before tomorrow," he said.

The words died in her throat.

"Um, ok," she said.

After they hung up, she made herself as unrecognizable as possible by wrapping a scarf around the lower half of her face and wearing a knit cap which covered most of the rest. She could have worn sunglasses to disguise her golden eyes, her most recognizable feature, but she thought that would have made her more suspicious looking. Now, she just looked cold. With sunglasses, she would look like a criminal.

She snuck downstairs and waited in the back hall between the dining room and the kitchen. She caught the Okami-san and explained that she was going on a drive with Ren.

"Just make sure you're not back too late," the woman said smiling. "We'll worry."

Kyouko assured her that she would be home at a reasonable hour.

The woman disappeared once more into the kitchen, and Kyouko waited by the side door for Ren.

She heard a soft knock, opened the door a crack to see who it was, and found Ren. He was dressed similarly, with a hat and scarf, but she didn't think he would fool anyone. Even with his face disguised, his body was still too recognizable.

She blushed at the thought and stepped out into the cold to join him.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," he said, stretching out his hand, "Ready to go?"

Kyouko took his hand and nodded.

They walked the few blocks to his car in silence.

Kyouko could tell he had something he wanted to say, but he was waiting until they were on the road to say it.

They couldn't talk about his secret out in the open for fear of being overheard, and they couldn't always commandeer The President's office every time they wanted to talk, so in the free time leading up to the press conference, they had taken to discussing things in Ren's car.

Once they were out on the road and up to speed, Ren finally spoke.

"It's tomorrow," he said.

Kyouko looked at him, searching his heart through his expression.

He looked over at her and smiled anxiously.

"Honestly, it's only sinking in just now," he said. "When we set the date, it still just a calendar page, but now, it's tomorrow."

Ren sighed.

"For the first time, it seems like it's really going to happen."

"Do you regret deciding to come clean so soon?" Kyouko asked.

Ren was silent for. He remained silent long enough that Kyouko wondered if maybe he hadn't heard her question.

"No," he finally said. "It's time."

"But what if you could change your mind now and not do it without suffering any consequences?" she asked. "What if the press conference could just disappear as if it had never been announced? Then would you change your mind?"

He took a deep breath and let it out.

"No," he said. "There are a lot of things I would undo if I could. The things I have to confess, namely, but coming clean is something I have to do. I can't continue hurting my parents, hurting you—"

"You're not hurting me," Kyouko said.

He looked at her and smiled.

"I'm forcing you to lie to the people you love most," he said. "You can't tell me that doesn't hurt. I know better."

Kyouko blushed.

"I have to tell the truth someday," he said, "No matter how good an actor I become, no matter how popular I become, it will never make up for what I've done. I will always disappoint someone."

He said it so calmly and matter-of-factly that anyone who knew him less would have thought him indifferent, but Kyouko saw through it.

She reached over and took his hand.

"Y— _We_ will get through this," she said.

He smiled over at her and squeezed her hand.

"Then I'll be fine," he said.

They continued to drive around aimlessly. He still seemed tense, but she was glad. She knew he could hide his emotions, but he had purposely sought her out to share his weaknesses with her.

They talked sporadically as they went along, discussing everything from career goals to the weather. They did not talk about tomorrow's press conference.

"Um, Kuon," Kyouko said, recognizing that they were about to enter the lower speed area near The Darumaya.

"Yes?" he asked, glancing her direction.

"Um, I um…I just wanted to say," she stuttered.

He squeezed her hand ad glanced over again.

"Um, about tomorrow…" she said. "Even if the world turns its back on you, I never will."

He turned partway toward her, and gave his godlike smile. Even with only a partial view of that expression, Kyouko thought her heart would explode. Couldn't he just smile like that tomorrow and have all sins forgiven?

Once they were off the freeway, Ren pulled over to the side of the road.

"Sometimes, you make it really difficult to concentrate on driving," he said, leaning in and kissing her. He then pulled back slightly so that only their foreheads were touching."But thank you."

"You're welcome," Kyouko whispered, blushing bright red.

Kuon lightly kissed her once more before pulling back onto the road, and driving back to the same area a few blocks from The Darumaya where he had parked before. Once they were parked, they put their hats and scarves back on and Ren walked Kyouko to the door.

They said goodnight, Kyouko waited for the Okami-san to come into the hall to let her know that she was back, and then climbed the stairs to her room.

Kuon had been anxious. She knew why The President had asked her to provide an out, but now she knew for sure, she wouldn't have to use it.

Kyouko's phone buzzed, and she wondered if Ren was sending her a 'goodnight' text as he sometimes did, but her phone continued to vibrate.

"Hello," she said, smiling at his name on the screen.

"Hi," he said.

There was silence on the line.

"Um, did you forget something?" she asked. They hadn't left the car except to walk to and from The Darumaya, but she couldn't think of another reason for his call.

"Can we just stay on the phone tonight?" he finally asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"I want to feel like you're with me," he said.

"Ah, um, y—yes," she said.

If Kyouko had been able to feel anything besides concern for the man she loved, she might have felt guilty about the eight plus hours she was about to spend on the company phone without even speaking for the majority of the time. As it was, she simply let the warmth of her affection fill her as she talked to him, and eventually drifted off to sleep to the sound of his breathing.

**AN: The chapter title makes me want to re-write the beginning as "'Twas the night before the press conference and all through the Darumaya..." but that doesn't have as nice rhythm as the original, nor does it fit this story very well... I made it tonight! I will continue to try! Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. I'm probably going to continue to be terrible at responding to reviews and messages for a while, but I do appreciate them. Feel free to leave a review if you'd like to let me know what you think.**


	69. Chapter 69 Nice to Meet You

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

She wasn't looking away. Granted, this was the first time was seeing him like that since childhood, but it was still a bit embarrassing to be scrutinized so closely. Well, she hadn't changed since childhood. She looked as if she was about to run up to him and ask if he was a fairy again.

The tiny woman responsible for his re-transformation giggled at Kyouko's openmouthed expression.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" she asked.

Kyouko nodded automatically, then blushed brightly as soon as she seemed to realize what she'd just done.

"Well, I'd like to take all the credit," Jelly said, with a little pout, "but I was just changing him back to his natural state."

The older woman again giggled, as Kyouko continued to stare and he blushed.

"Ok, I get the picture. I'll give you two a few minutes alone," she said, and left the room without either appearing to notice.

"You— you look like— Corn," Kyouko said, finally putting words to her expression.

He laughed.

"Well, I am Corn," he said. "Man, does that statement sound weird."

"It was because of your accent," she said, crinkling her nose at him.

He laughed again as Kyouko continued to stare him up and down.

She moved closer to him and tentatively reached a hand upward before hesitating.

"M—may I?" she asked.

He smiled and ducked his head down so she could more easily run her fingers through his newly lightened hair.

"You really like my hair, don't you?" he asked.

"Eh?" she asked, taking a step back and beginning to relinquish his hair.

He reached up and stopped her retreating hand with his own, then locked his eyes with hers.

"That time in the trailer during _Dark Moon_," he said. "You touched my hair then too."

"Eh? You were awake?" Kyouko asked, turning bright red.

"It's ok," he said. "I wanted to do something far less innocent than touching your hair."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. "W—what?"

"You want to know?" he asked with a smirk.

"N—no! Never mind, I don't care," she said.

He leaned the remaining few inches to her face and captured her lips for a quick kiss.

When he pulled back, her eyes were wide, and she raised her hand to her lips, as if to check if he'd actually kissed her.

"If I'd done that then, you probably would never have spoken to me again," he said.

"Um, I—" she stuttered.

He smiled at her and straightened up as a knock sounded on the door and Jelly, again entered the room.

"Ren-chan, I think you froze your girlfriend," Jelly said, giggling at the statue-like girl before him.

"Kyouko, are you frozen?" he asked. "Do you need me to melt you?"

"No! I'm fine! You finish getting ready. I'll wait out there," she said, pointing toward the door and fleeing in the direction she had indicated.

He sighed when she left. He had been trying to keep calm. Focusing on Kyouko had helped, but he was still nervous. His life was about to change irrevocably.

"Poor, Ren-chan," Jelly said, "so in love that you miss her even when she leaves the room for a few minutes."

Ren chuckled. It wasn't perfectly accurate, but it was close.

"Ok, well, as soon as we get you all finished up, you can go join her," she said. "Though it's a pity to cover up such lovely hair and eyes."

"They'll be uncovered again soon enough," he said.

"I don't know what's going on exactly," Jelly said, placing a dark wig over his blond locks, "but I think deserve some bragging rights."

"That you do," he said with a smile.

"Now, here," she said, handing him a contact case, "you can do this part."

He nodded and put in the contact lenses, darkening his eyes.

"Ah, Ren-chan, you're beautiful either way," Jelly said.

"Thank you," he said with a chuckle.

"Now, go, Kyouko-chan's waiting for you," Jelly said.

He smiled and exited the room through the door Kyouko had used.

Kyouko was sitting and talking to The President, a serious expression on her face.

The President noticed him first, looked up and smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Ren, Kuon, or more likely a mix of both, took a deep breath. He could feel his heart pounding. His life could fall apart in a matter of minutes.

He replayed his mother's assurances in his head to try and calm himself down. People would still respect his attitude toward work. He had always been serious toward work and would remain so. They would not shun him because of a name.

He wasn't going to get any more ready. One more minute wouldn't make any more difference than one more film or one more drama.

"I'm ready," he said, determined.

Kyouko smiled, moved to his side and silently took his hand.

"Alright, then get out there," The President said with a grin.

Ren nodded and he and Kyouko headed out onto the stage.

They took their places at a table, while President Takarada stood on the sidelines.

As soon as they appeared on stage, flash bulbs began to go off, and there was the sound of rustling papers, clearing throats and scratching pens. In reality, the sound was minimal, but at the moment, if sounded to him like an uproarious din.

He cleared his throat into his microphone, and silence reigned.

"Good evening," he said.

A few more flash bulbs went off as he began to speak.

"I would like to thank you all for coming this evening," he said. "I'm sure you're all curious about why such a large press conference is being held. And it may seem a little strange, but if you'll bear with me, I would like to tell you a story, my story."

There was another wave of flashes as the cameras went off, and rustling of papers as the reporters began readying themselves to take notes.

"You may have noticed that there is very little personal information available on Tsuruga Ren," he said. "Part of this is due to my private nature, the other part is due to the fact that Tsuruga Ren has very little personal information to give."

A murmur went through the crowd, and again, cameras flashed.

"Tsuruga Ren is only a stage name," he said.

More camera flashes, murmuring, and writing of notes throughout the audience.

"Before I tell you my real name," he said, "I would like to tell you my story."

After yet still even more photographs, the room went deathly silent, the media all holding their breath for his next words.

"I was born in America," he said, "the son of two very successful entertainers."

There were now camera flashes after almost every word, and the constant sound of papers moving, words being jotted onto paper and typed into laptops and phones.

"My parents were a source of awe for me. My father in particular was a hero to me. As such, there was never any doubt in my mind that I would become an actor, just like him. Unfortunately, when I began acting as a child, that seemed to be everyone else's expectation as well. It was an expectation I couldn't live up to," he said.

A shocked murmur ran throughout the crowd. They were shocked that he had not always been a perfect actor. They would be even more shocked about the next phase in his life.

He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself while the crowd calmed down. There was no going back now. If he stopped there, they would dig up his past and he would never get a chance to explain it. He needed to explain it now, and in order to do that, he needed to be able to breathe.

He felt the squeeze of Kyouko's hand on his beneath the table, glanced over and saw her calm face, and took a breath.

"I grew frustrated by my shortcomings, by the expectations others had placed on me because of my father's skills," he said. "I was desperate to prove myself and unable to do so. In order to deal with my frustrations, I began fighting and became enmeshed in a world of violence and darkness. And then, when I could no longer live that way, my father's friend, President of LME, Lory Takarada, came to me and gave me to opportunity to start over here in Japan, to become Tsuruga Ren. Someone with nothing by his own merits to stand on."

The crowd had now become extremely restless. He could tell they were dying to ask questions, but he wasn't done yet. He reluctantly released his hand from Kyouko's and placed a contact case on the table before him.

"I have grown here, as an actor, and as a person. I have gone from a boy to a man. I want to show my gratitude to the people who have changed me, the people who have made me what I am," he said, pointedly looking at The President, at Kyouko, then scanning the room for every familiar face. "I want to thank this country for giving me a chance, and I want to do that by being honest about who I am."

He looked down, opened the contact case and put the colored lenses inside. He then unfastened the clips on his wig, set it on the table in front of him and ran his fingers through his hair.

He stood from his seat and faced all the cameras in his original form.

"Nice to meet you," he said. "I am Hizuri Kuon. Please treat me favorably."

**AN: So the last line is in Japanese in my head, and it just has a really awkward translation. The original is "はじめまして。ひずり久遠と申します。よろしくお願いします。" It's basically a ritualistic phrase used when meeting people for the first time. "はじめまして" being for the first time and "よろしくお願いします" literally being ****the adverb "well" and please. So basically, it's like treat me well, look favorably upon me. There are MANY translations out there. I just tried to pick one that sounded the tiniest bit natural in English. Oh, how I wish we had an equivalent phrase in English!** **But enough with my language rant! Thank you for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	70. Chapter 70 Q&A

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone in the room took in the full meaning of Kuon's words. He had introduced himself at Hizuri Kuon. Even those who were not aware of the absence of Kuu and Julie Hizuri's son needed only to hear the name Hizuri to connect the dots.

This man was the son of an international film start and a supermodel. It was little wonder he had felt overshadowed by their presence in the entertainment industry.

The crowd began to roar and hands shot up into the air with questions. The press had been prepared to ask things like "can we see the ring?" and "when is the wedding?" but despite their ill preparedness, they seemed to have no shortage of questions.

Kuon pointed toward a raised hand near the stage, indicating that the reporter should ask their question.

"What made you decide to reveal your identity after so long?" the reporter asked.

"That's a good questions," he said. "After years of concealment, revealing my identity came as rather a quick decision. What made me realize, or rather _who_ made me realize it was the right time was Kyouko."

He smiled at the girl by his side.

"I wanted to be honest with her, so even though I really expected her to be angry with me, to dump me even, I decided to tell her," he said. "When I did, she didn't react at all in the way I expected. She accepted me, but at the same time tore down all the superficial goals I had set up for myself as indicators of when I would be truly ready to reveal myself."

He pointed to another raised hand.

"What _were_ your original goals?"

He laughed.

"My original goal was to beat my father and to become a new person myself," he said. "But the milestones marking my goal kept changing. Before I finished my work on _Dark Moon_, I thought receiving more acclaim for the same role he played would be good enough, but it still didn't feel complete."

"What did Kyouko-san say to make you change your mind about your goals?" another reporter asked.

"She told me that my goal was unrealistic and that who I am was already good enough," he said with a smirk. "I had been trying to measure up to my father for so long, I hadn't realized that I should be measuring my success against my own progress. She also made me realize that Tsuruga Ren and Hizuri Kuon are not two entirely different people. They are both part of what make me who I am, and I need them both to be the best actor I can be."

"Will you stop using the name Tsuruga Ren now?" a reporter shouted.

"I still have endorsements as Tsuruga Ren," he said, "so I don't intend to retire it. But, when I act, I try to become the character I'm playing, not Hizuri Kuon playing Tsuruga Ren playing a character, so no matter what name I use, my dedication to acting will remain the same. I hope that in revealing my identity, I will become more versatile, not less."

He pointed to another reporter, near the back. Someone passed them a microphone so their question could be heard.

"Now that you have equaled your father as the number one actor in Japan, will you move on to America?"

In all the fray, neither Kuon nor the rest of the crowd seemed to notice as Kyouko almost imperceptibly stiffened.

"I can't say what I would do if a good opportunity to act in an American film came along," he said, "but at this time, I have no plans to leave the Japanese entertainment world in favor of Hollywood."

"Does that mean you would move to America if you were offered the right part?"

"Again, as I haven't been offered any such role, it is difficult to say, but for now, Japan is my home. It is home to some of the most important people in my life," he said, looking pointedly at Kyouko, "people I couldn't imagine being separated from. It is also where I have made a place for myself and developed my career. That is not something I could give up so easily. However, I am sure I will be spending most of my vacations in America. I think after seven years of separation, my parents would kill me if I chose any other destination."

A rumble of laughter went over the crowd, and a bit of the tension left Kyouko, though it was replaced by a blush.

"Do you intend to go see your parents then?"

"Yes," Kuon answered. "They have been extremely patient with me. I mean, how many parents would let their child leave home at fifteen to pursue their goals without interfering, just because of the child's selfish feelings? I owe them so much. A little visit isn't nearly enough to repay it, but I hope it's a start."

There was a collective "Aw!" throughout the audience, and he pointed to another raised hand.

"What was it like coming from America to live alone in Japan at such a young age?"

"Culture shock," he said with a grin. "It may have been softened for me due to the many vacations I spent here as a child, the presence of Japanese culture in my family, and my ability to speak the language, but it was still a big change. And on top of that, I went from being a child under my parents' roof to living on my own. It forced me to grow up quickly."

"Will there be a film about your life? Will you write a book?" another reporter asked.

"I have no such plans at this time," he said. "I will be granting more interviews, but I am an actor, not a writer, so I will not be writing any books or screenplays about my life."

The questions continued to come, and eventually their timeslot came to a close and President Takarada came forward to end the press conference.

"More interviews will be granted," he said, "so please contact LME to request an appointment."

He thanked everyone for coming and followed Ren and Kyouko off the stage.

"That wasn't so bad, was it, Kuon?" he asked, once they were in private.

Kuon gave a little glare.

"For a minute, I thought I might have a stroke right there on stage," he said.

"Nonsense, you're too young and fit for that," The President said with a grin. "Besides, you had your talisman beside you."

He looked down at Kyouko and smiled.

"That I did," he said.

The girl blushed and looked at the floor.

"Thank you," he said. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be hiding, living in my own darkness."

It seemed she couldn't speak. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and then threw her arms around his waist.

"No fair!" came a voice from across the room. "I want a hug too!"

Kuon's face snapped up as soon as he heard the voice.

Kyouko released him and stepped back, blushing.

"I agree," said another voice.

Kuon turned around and saw an elderly couple with gray hair, thick glasses and matching, unflattering polyester pant suits. They certainly didn't look like them, but he knew who they were immediately.

"Hi mom. Hi dad," he said with a smile.

Kyouko turned and looked at the couple.

The couple then rushed forward at speeds no octogenarian would be capable of, and captured them both in a crushing group hug.

"I missed you!" Julie cried, over and over.

Kuu was silent, but his smile was overpoweringly bright, and there was moisture in his eyes.

"I missed you too," Kuon said.

Finally, they parted and Julie began to look Kyouko over.

The girl began to shrink back.

"Ah! This is horrible!" Julie shouted.

Kyouko froze.

Julie removed the thick glasses.

"Much better," she said, smiling at the girl before her.

She reached out and took the girl by the shoulders, holding her at arm's length for a moment before folding her into an embrace.

"It's lovely to finally meet you in person, Kyouko," she said.

"It's nice to meet you too," the girl said, obviously trying to control her voice as tears welled in her eyes.

"Well, " Julie said, finally releasing the girl, "let's get out of these horrid disguises, and then we can have dinner as a family. It's been too long since we've had a meal together. I'll cook."

Kuon paled.

"Nonsense, dear. My little girl and I will cook," Kuu said.

Kyouko looked up at him and he gave her a wink.

"I got to see Kuon, when I visited. You haven't seen him in seven years," he said, "You and he can catch up while we do the cooking."

Julie agreed without too much fuss and Kuon and Kyouko both smiled at Kuu's quick thinking.

Jelly soon appeared to help Kuu and Julie out of their latex, makeup and polyester, and then they were on their way to Kuon's apartment.

**AN: Kuu and Julie showed up without my permission, but since they wanted to be there, I had to write them in, even though it wasn't the original plan. It looks like it will be at least another couple chapters to finish what I wanted to get done in the main story. Again, things always take longer than I think. -_- Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	71. Chapter 71 Family Dinner

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

It felt surreal. She was standing in the kitchen of her famous boyfriend's apartment, cooking dinner with his equally famous father, while his famous mother sat and chatted with him a room away. It was like something out of a fairytale, only fairytales didn't come true, and no matter how many times she covertly pinched herself, she would not wake up.

"Soup's going to boil over," Kuu said, reaching past her to lower the heat.

"Ah, sorry," she said.

She waved her hand over the pot to cool some of the rising bubbles.

"It's ok," Kuu said, smiling at her, expertly chopping some vegetables and throwing them in a pan.

Kyouko watched him in her periphery as she moved to attend to another dish, and absently wondered what it would be like to cook with both Kuu and the Taisho. It would be funny to watch Kuu, chopping and smiling and humming along as he cooked, while the Taisho stoically performed his culinary arts.

Kyouko moved a completed dish to a serving container and placed it on the counter.

A peal of feminine laughter made its way into the room.

"Thank you," Kuu said.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked, looking up to meet his eyes.

"I didn't get a chance to say it with all the commotion earlier," Kuu said.

It had been absolute pandemonium. It was calm and peaceful in the kitchen of the apartment, but getting there had been like fighting a war.

"Th—thank me for what?" Kyouko asked.

The mingled laughter of mother and son rang out.

"For that," he said, waving a hand toward the other room.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked, blushing, "But I didn't do anything!"

Kuu glared.

"You don't listen well, do you?" he asked. He flicked her on the forehead. "If you want to become a truly amazing actress, you will have to learn to recognize your effect on others."

"Eh? But—" she protested.

"Didn't you hear what he said earlier? If it hadn't been for you, he would still be pretending right now. It's due to you, that our family is together now," he said, smiling at her. "I'm glad you're going to become a part of it."

Kyouko blushed and stuttered again.

"Ah, the soup," Kuu said, turning back to the stove.

"Need any help?" Julie asked, appearing at the doorway.

Standing behind her, Kuon drew a line across his throat and shook his head.

Kuu stayed blissfully ignorant, humming, and stirring, and chopping, and checking the oven and the rice cooker, and really doing everything but answering his wife.

"Um," Kyouko began.

Kuon continued shaking his head, and Kyouko had to stifle her laughter.

Julie turned around and glared, only to find Kuon smiling innocently down at her.

"I seem to keep forgetting this soup," Kyouko said, drawing the woman's attention back to her. "Do you think you could watch it for me to make sure it doesn't boil over, and stir it occasionally?"

"I'd love to!" Julie said, enthusiastically taking the spoon Kyouko offered and staring at the soup.

If the saying 'a watched pot never boils,' was true, the soup would certainly be safe.

"Kuon, why don't you help too," Kuu suggested with a smirk.

"I know my limits," he said. "If you all want to live, you should keep me away from the food."

"You really should learn to cook, dear," Julie said, only briefly glancing up from the soup. "It's not healthy to always eat pre-prepared meals. What have you been eating all this time anyway? Convenience store bentous? You're entirely too thin!"

"Onigiri," Kyouko said.

Julie's head snapped up to look at her and Kuon sighed.

Kyouko blushed as Julie stared.

"Onigiri?" she asked. "Just onigiri?"

"Um, well, he—he's been a little better lately," Kyouko said, "but um, when he's left to his own devices…"

"I see," Julie said, in 'the mom voice.' She locked eyes with her son and then let go. "How could you not take care of yourself? If you were going to go off and leave me, you should have at least been responsible enough to make sure you lived to see me again. I remember when you were a child, and you would refuse to eat, so I had to hold your nose to get you to open your mouth so I could put the food in. You would run away when I called for dinner. How have you survived this long? What did you do without me?"

"I eat when I need to," he said.

"I don't believe you," Julie said, pouting and giving the pot a stir.

"Mom," he said, trying to coax her.

"Then prove it," Julie said. "Eat all of your dinner tonight, and I'll believe you."

Kuon swallowed hard.

Kyouko was amused, but as much as she agreed with Julie's sentiment, she felt sorry for Kuon. She imagined him as a child, crying as he was force-fed. She could not let that happen again. It might traumatize him too much and cause him to go on some crazy all liquid diet.

"Um, he really does eat now," Kyouko said timidly.

Julie looked at her.

She felt like shrinking, but she continued.

"Um, it's true that he used to eat only food that was convenient, regardless of nutrition, but lately, he's been picking food that is both convenient and nutritious," Kyouko said.

Julie eyed her with suspicion.

"Yes," he said, "Kyouko's bentous are always packed with vitamins."

"I see," Julie said, smirking and turning back to the soup.

"Um, i—it's not just my food though," Kyouko said, worried that Julie was upset that Kuon at her food and not Julie's. "He eats the food provided at work, don't you?"

"If I didn't, Yashiro would report to you," Kuon said, "and then I would get the scolding of a lifetime."

"Eh? No, but— I—" Kyouko stuttered.

That made it sound as if her opinion mattered to him more than his mother's.

Kyouko looked worriedly between mother and son.

Julie laughed.

"Thank you for keeping my son alive," she said. "I can see it's all your doing."

"Eh? No! Really! I didn't—"

"Looks like the food's done," Kuu said. "Kuon, why don't you set the table?"

"That, I can do," he said.

The Hizuris and Kyouko all moved to the table, said their thanks and dug in, some with more vigor than others.

"Ah! I missed cooking with my daughter!" Kuu said, a look of pure bliss on his face as he wolfed down his food.

Kyouko blushed at the term 'daughter' being thrown about so freely. She hadn't yet been able to act as his child without getting into the role of Kuon first, and now, that seemed a little inappropriate.

"Speaking of which," Kuu said, looking at his son, "when are you going to make her my real daughter?"

"Dad," Kuon said in a warning tone.

"Ooh! Can I design your wedding dress? Please? You have such an adorable figure, I've been wanting to play dress up with you since I started watching your dramas," Julie said excitedly.

"Eh, ah, but, um, we're—" Kyouko stuttered.

"Dad, mom," Kuon said. "we appreciate your support, but we're taking things slow."

"Why?" the older couple asked in unison.

Kyouko could feel her cheeks flaming. She was ready to crawl under the table and hide.

"For one thing, Kyouko is a minor," Ren said.

"Oh, that's right," Julie pouted. "Stupid Japan and its stupid laws!"

"Hey!" Kuu said.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Julie said. "Why not just get your parents' permission?"

"Mom!" Kuon said, giving her a significant look.

"Um, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll go put the kettle on for some more tea," Kyouko said, smiling a little too brightly and fleeing the table.

"Eh? Did I say something wrong?" she heard Julie asking her husband and son.

Kyouko took a deep breath as she stood at the sink filling the kettle.

They were such a perfect, loving family. She knew Kuon had had his problems growing up, but she could tell that his parents had never stopped loving him for a second. She didn't know how to explain her situation to a family like that. How could she tell such loving, wonderful parents that she had been abandoned, unwanted and unloved?

She set the kettle on the stove and wiped an escaped tear from her eye with the back of her hand.

"Kyouko," came Kuon's soft voice. "I'm sorry about that. I— she didn't know."

Kyouko turned to him with a smile.

"Eh? What are you apologizing for?" she asked.

"Kyouko," he repeated, walking over to her and folding her into his arms.

She breathed him in, blinking to keep back the tears. Why did he always have to see through her?

"It's— I'm— not used to this," she said. "You're all so— And I was—"

"It's alright," he murmured, stroking her back and holding her under his chin.

She felt safe and loved in the warmth of his arms, which somehow made the tears flow even faster.

She was finally able to compose herself though, and she stepped back from Kuon.

"Um, I'm just going to go," she motioned toward the bathroom.

"I'll take the tea out," he said.

She nodded and went to wash her face.

When she rejoined them in the dining room, Julie stood, walked over to her and encircled her in her arms.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she said. "I was just so excited to think that you could officially become part of our family that I rushed things a little, didn't I? Well, never mind me. You take your time and get married when you're ready. I'm counting on Kuon to make sure it's not too long, but…Never mind, you're already a part of our family in our minds."

Kyouko burst into tears again all over her newly washed face.

Julie held her closer, rocking her back and forth and cooing like a mother to her baby.

When Kyouko stopped crying for the second time, she was blushing redder than the gallon of tomato sauce atop Kuu's trough of spaghetti, but embarrassment, as well as love, was something she would have to get used to with this family. Not that she really minded.

**AN: Oh look, a chapter that wouldn't have been written if Kuu and Julie had just behaved! *sigh* Winter break is over for me Monday. I thought this would be finished well before then, but alas, I was wrong. Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	72. Chapter 72 Fighting

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

Kuon's schedules with his family, Kyouko and interview after interview, was now nearly as busy as Ren's had ever been with dramas, movies, modeling shoots and promotions. It was a good thing The President had suggested waiting until all major projects were over to make his announcement, because he would not have been able to survive with the number of interviews added to his usual work load.

While the overall reaction to his revelation had been positive, or simply shocked, there were a few who had liked Ren's gentlemanly, clean cut image, and did not like Kuon's sordid past. In one of the earlier interviews, he had decided to fully reveal the circumstances behind Rick's death.

He had been a minor at the time, an witness rather than an accessory to Rick's death. Therefore, there was no incriminating paper trail to link him to the events, but he still knew that there were people out there aware of the circumstances. So no matter how unlikely it was that a member of the press would fly to the states, find a witness, translate their statement and publish it in the Japanese media, Kuon still wanted to explain. He wanted everything in the open.

It was the image of the troubled, violent young man he had been that left some people with a bad taste in their mouth.

"He's not a good role model for our children," one interviewee said. "I always thought Tsuruga Ren was such a gentle person. To think, he had such a violent past! He's a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Kyouko turned off the television in a huff. They were relaxing after another family dinner. Kyouko had switched on the television to check how many reporters were camped outside the apartment building and had come across a show interviewing random people on the street about Kuon.

"How can they think like that?" she asked, angrily. "Shouldn't your determination and the hard work you put in to turn your life around and make something of yourself make the best role model of anyone?"

"Absolutely!" Julie concurred. "It's harder to turn your life around than to just follow where momentum pushes you."

Kuu smirked and shoveled down another spoonful of his gallon of ice cream, his second gallon…

Kuon, chuckled at his two stalwart defenders.

"It's ok. It's actually not as bad as I expected," he said. "I'm sure there are some people who will never like me, but I think most people will just need a little time to get to know me. It just means I'll have to work harder."

"Ah, but you'll definitely have plenty of opportunities, won't you?" Kyouko said, brightening up. "Now you're getting offers for Ren and Kuon."

"Yes," he said. "Who knew I would get more offers after revealing my identity? I half expected to be deported."

Kyouko looked at him with a panicked expression.

"Can they do that?" she asked.

He laughed.

"Don't worry," he said. "I do have a working visa. And if I never get another job offer again, I can always marry you so I can stay in the country."

"Oh, you can, can you?" she asked glaring and blushing at the same time. "What about all those offers you were just mentioning?"

"It was only one of many options," he said with a laugh. "Besides, I don't want to be a kept man. I'd rather do all the spoiling."

Kyouko blushed from head to toe as Julie and Kuu both let out sighs of "aw!" in the background.

While Kuon might normally have been frustrated at the lack of one on one time with Kyouko, he was rather enjoying spending time his parents and the girl he loved together. It was a beautiful sight to see the shy girl growing accustomed to being cared for. She was happy. His parents were happy. And when they were around, she never teased him by refusing his almost proposals. She probably did it because she knew his parents wanted them to marry, but a little voice in the back of his head said that maybe she was growing more inured to the idea.

"So, mom, what do you have in mind for the wedding dress?" he asked, grinning as Kyouko blushed brighter and his mother lit up.

"Ooh! Well," Julie began, "she's such a petite little thing that I was thinking something sleek, so it wouldn't overpower her. We don't want you looking like a ball of fluff, do we?"

A very red Kyouko shook her head.

"But then, your image is so sweet that I thought something like a princess style gown would suit you," Julie continued.

Despite her embarrassment, Kyouko's eyes began to sparkle at the word 'princess.'

Both men looked on in amusement as the women they loved became rapt in their subjects of delight.

"So, maybe if there's a little poof at the back, or a train and lots of lace, it would give the sweetness and that princess feel without eating you up," Julie said. She picked up a pen and a piece of paper that was laying around and began to sketch. "Here, maybe this would give you a little better idea."

She and Kyouko both leaned over the coffee table as the older woman drew. She even elicited suggestions from the shy teen.

"Now you've done it," Kuu said, walking over to his son, a box of doughnuts in hand. "They'll be at if for hours now."

"I don't mind her fantasizing about our wedding," Kuon said.

Kuu slapped him on the back and grinned.

"You're turning out to be more like your dad than you thought you would, aren't you?" he said. "Remember when you were little and you used to make faces whenever your mother and I kissed."

"I still don't want to watch a make out session between my parents," he said with a deadpan expression.

Kuu laughed.

"I meant you doting on her," he said. "You might be even worse than me."

"Well, we did manage to snag the two most beautiful women on the planet," he said, looking over at the smiling faces of his mother and girlfriend.

"That we did," Kuu said, also smiling fondly at the two.

By the time his parents were ready to return to their nearby hotel and Kuon was ready to take Kyouko back to the Darumaya, Julie had designed several options for Kyouko's wedding dress, as well as gowns for the bride's maids, and flower girl.

"It has to be Maria, she would love it," Kyouko said, "Though maybe she will feel too grown up to be a flower girl by the time we— um. Well, that is if we, um…"

"You don't have to talk about it as if it's uncertain," Julie said with a smile. "It may not be until you're twenty, but he will marry you."

Kyouko blushed, but nodded her acceptance of Julie's opinion.

Kuon had watched the scene with a full heart, and now that he and Kyouko were alone in his car together, he felt the need to tease her about it.

"So, how many bride's maids will there be at our wedding?" he asked.

"Well, Mouko-san and Amamiya-san are a given, and then maybe Maria-chan if she would rather do that than be the flo— hey!" Kyouko said.

"What?" he asked. "I was just curious. You and my mother seemed so happy planning it, I thought it was decided."

"Th—that was just fantasizing," Kyouko said. "It doesn't mean it will happen."

"You went into such detail over a fantasy?" he asked. "I wonder what the real thing will be like then."

"You haven't even proposed yet, remember," she said. "Didn't you say when you proposed I would know it?"

"That you will," he said.

Kyouko glared.

"Do you want me to propose?" he asked.

"Eh? I never said— Stop teasing!" she said. "You're being mean."

"It's a legitimate question," he said in mock defense. "If the girl I love doesn't even want me to propose, wouldn't it be foolish of me to do so? I might get rejected."

"Like that would hap—" Kyouko slapped both hands over her mouth, but it was too late. Ren already knew her answer.

"So you won't reject me?" he asked.

"I might if you keep teasing," Kyouko said, crossing her arms over her chest and turning toward the window. "I don't know if I want such a mean husband."

"Oh, I will be _very_ kind to you when we get married," he said, as seductively as possible.

He smirked as he watched Kyouko shiver.

As much as he would have _loved_ to see Kyouko's reaction to his continued teasing, he had to stop. The Darumaya was in sight, and the Taisho might hack off a limb if Kyouko looked the least bit upset. If possible, he had grown even more protective since Kuon's revelation.

Kuon sighed as he bid Kyouko goodnight. The Taisho was waiting, glaring menacingly as Kuon gave Kyouko a handshake goodnight, the only physical contact that didn't send the Taisho running for a cleaver. The Okami-san smiled apologetically from behind her husband. It seemed there would be no more unnecessary toothpaste runs for a while.

At least the man wasn't forbidding Kyouko from seeing him. He was yet another person whose good opinion he would have to try and earn again, but he was up for the challenge. This was a fight he was determined to win.

**AN: I had you worried there for a second with the title, didn't I? Well, it is all about fighting...just not necessarily a bad kind. Back to school tomorrow. Will still try to update as usual. Must take care of some some things, but I'll do my best. I started this the night before my midterm last term...I WILL END IT SOON! *pants* Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	73. Chapter 73 Preparations

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"If you're _so_ in love with Tsuruga Ren or Hizuri Kuon or whatever he's calling himself these days, why is it that Shou-chan is still paying more attention to you than to Mimori," the girl asked.

It was one of the first questions posed to Kyouko upon her return to high school. Kyouko had expected to be bullied, or at least mobbed with questions about her boyfriend, but it seemed that the other students held her in some sort of awe. It was as if she was the chosen one.

She had been spotted on multiple occasions, shopping with Julie Hizuri, eating out with the whole Hizuri family, and snuggling with Kuon. The silly articles with innumerable pictures of said events still embarrassed her a bit, they seemed to have had a profound impact on her school mates…except for Nanokura Mimori.

"Um, I don't think he pays much attention to me anymore," Kyouko said. She hadn't talked to him personally since the horrible practice interview fiasco, and the last thing she had heard from him was his statement during her first interview with Ren.

"Then what about all those songs?" Mimori asked. "They're not about Mimori, and whenever she brings up you or _that man_ he gets all irritated and won't pay any attention to Mimori."

Kyouko sighed. The girl was so much like her old self, it was painful to watch. She only hoped Shou had matured enough not to lead her on if he didn't care about her.

"Nanokura-san," Kyouko said, leaning in and whispering in the girl's ear. "When he gets like that, just buy him some pudding and compliment him."

"Like that would work!" Mimori said indignantly.

She stormed off leaving Kyouko sighing at her desk.

Kyouko didn't get to spend much time in that particular seat. After the airing of _Selling_, the commercials she had done, and the increased publicity she received after Kuon's revelation, she had become known as a chameleon rather than a bad girl, and was thus in high demand.

She had a drama, a movie, an exclusive modeling contract with a cosmetics company, her role as Bo, and after word got out about her cooking for Kuu's legendary appetite, occasional guest spots on cooking shows. Her career coupled with trying to find time for friends and those who had become family, left her with less and less time in the classroom. Today, she was ducking out early for a meeting with President Takarada.

"Mogami-kun! I'm glad we were finally able to get you and Kuon in at the same time," The President said.

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry about that," Kyouko said. "It seems our schedules have become rather busy lately."

"Don't apologize," he said. "You are actors, and actors should be acting…as long as you find time for romance too."

Kyouko blushed.

"We have Yashiro's excellent scheduling at our service," Kuon said.

"That man needs a raise," The President mumbled, then turning back to the two. "Well, you know why I've called you here, of course."

Kyouko and Kuon looked at one another.

"Um, no," she ventured.

The President let out a long sigh and shook his head.

"I can't believe it," he said. "After all you two have been through to finally be together, after all you have done to find love, and you don't even realize the reason."

He looked particularly dramatic, waving one of the heart-tipped arrows from his cupid costume to punctuate each word.

The couple gave him a blank stare.

"Your graduation from LoveMe!" he said.

"Oh," Kyouko said, smiling.

"'Oh?' Just, 'oh?'" he asked. "Mogami-kun, this is something you have been working toward for as long as you have been a member of LME! Shouldn't you be more excited than that?"

"Um, I am excited," Kyouko said, "but, um, I don't really get what it entails…"

"Your graduation party, of course!" he said. "We have to throw a huge party, with banners and ribbons, and flowers."

"Does it have to be that extravagant?" she asked. "I mean, since I'm trying to finish school without missing any more class than necessary. Adding a party on top of everything else might be a little…"

"That's right!" The President said. "We'll have to have another party when you graduate high school!"

Kyouko paled.

"Eh?" she asked.

"Um, President Takarada, if I may," Kuon said, "wouldn't it be better to wait and combine the parties in the spring. Perhaps more time would be available in our schedules by then, and I know my parents would want to be there for such important events, but I don't think it would be possible for them to take time off work again so soon."

"Ah," The President said. "I see. Well, then, we'll wait until after both graduations to throw the party."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked. That had been too easy.

"What's wrong, Mogami-kun? Do you want two parties after all?" he asked.

"Eh? No! I was just— um, no, never mind," Kyouko said. The President was surely up to something, but she would never find out until his plan was complete, so she gave up trying to find out and took comfort in the fact that she would have only one party to prepare for.

As the part was put off until later, they were soon allowed to go.

* * *

><p>What Kyouko didn't realize was that it was Kuon, not the President, who was scheming this time.<p>

When the two left his office, he rubbed his hands together in delight. From the look Kuon had given him and the emphasis he had place on the importance of his parents being there for the occasion, he could tell that the younger man was planning something, hopefully something romantic.

Though he had been given more time to prepare, more than a month, he now felt added pressure to make the event even bigger and showier than previously planned. He would personally oversee the production of this party and make sure that nothing went wrong. This was going to be a LoveMe graduation with a bang.

The President grinned, picking up the phone on his desk.

"Yes, President?" the secretary answered.

"Get me my florist," he said. "I'm going to need a lot of flowers."

* * *

><p>If Kuon had thought revealing his identity had been the most nerve-wracking experience of his life, this had to come in at a very close second.<p>

It had been very difficult to find time in his, once again, packed schedule to make this little visit. It had been even more difficult trying to find a time in which Kyouko would not be present and he would not be inconveniencing the person he was visiting. The last thing he wanted to do was get on his bad side when he was about to do what he was about to do.

After much searching and rearranging though, he had managed to find a time. He could not chicken out now.

He walked up to the now very familiar door and knocked.

"Ah, Tsuru— or should it be Hizuri-san?" The Okami-san said, smiling.

"Either way is fine," he said, returning her smile with a nervous one of his own.

"Um, Kyouko-chan isn't here right now…" she said, looking a bit puzzled at his presence.

"Ah, I know," he said. "Actually, I believe your husband is expecting me."

**AN: Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	74. Chapter 74 Graduation: Part 1

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

"This is it, isn't it?" The Taisho asked.

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

"Your graduation," he clarified.

He gathered ingredients from the refrigerator and placed them on the counter, beginning preparations for the day's lunch menu.

"Ah, yes," Kyouko said, smiling brightly. "Well, tonight is the party anyway. Technically, I've already graduated. You can come, can't you? It isn't too much trouble to close early?"

"You plan to graduate often?" he asked.

"No…" she said.

"Then it's fine," he said. "This sort of thing only happens once."

"Well, unless I go to college," Kyouko said, moving over to the Taisho's side and beginning to chop some of the vegetables, "but I think I'd like to focus on acting for now. It's what I really want to do."

The Taisho gave a noncommittal grunt, set some dashi stock to simmer and began chopping up a piece of meat.

"Kyouko-chan, Hizuri-san is here," the Okami-san called.

Kyouko wiped her hands and started to leave.

"Have breakfast before you go," the Taisho said.

Kyouko nodded, thanked him and went to retrieve Kuon.

She sat him down at the counter with its cutout facing into the kitchen and went to get their meals together.

"Good morning," he said, bowing his head to the Taisho.

The older man nodded and locked eyes with him.

"Here, Kuon," Kyouko said, setting his meal before him.

She joined him at the counter, and closed her eyes and smiled at the first taste of her miso.

Kuon smiled at the beautiful girl beside him, and once he stopped drinking in the view, took a bite of his own soup.

"My complements to the chef," he said, glancing up at the Taisho.

The man had exited the kitchen during his long look at Kyouko, and was in the hallway, one arm in a jacket.

"Dear? Where are you going?" his wife asked, on her way to the kitchen.

"Going to buy toothpaste," he said.

"But we're not—"

He looked up at his wife.

"Never mind," she said, with a smile.

"So, Kyouko-chan, today is the big day, isn't it?" she asked, turning to the girl.

Kuon coughed suddenly.

"Are you alright?" both women asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," he said between coughs. "Wrong pipe."

After she was sure he was indeed alright, Kyouko turned back to the Okami-san.

"Um, you were saying?" she asked.

"Oh, I said today's the big day, right?" she repeated.

Kuon tensed.

"Your graduation and party," she said.

"Ah, yes," Kyouko said. She began to tear up. "I can hardly believe it. I never thought this day would come."

The older woman came forward and took Kyouko's hands.

"It's very special to you, isn't it?" she said.

Kyouko nodded.

"We're both so happy to be able to share it with you," the other woman said, tears beginning to gather in her eyes as well. "I know he doesn't seem like the type to place much importance in events like these, but even my husband was so determined to be there for your party. It was actually his idea to close up early today to make extra sure that we got there on time."

"Eh?" Kyouko asked.

Kuon began coughing again, and the women again turned to him.

"Are you alright?" Kyouko asked.

"Ah, um, yes," he said, "but shouldn't we hurry? You don't want to be late for your last day of high school, do you?"

Kyouko violently shook her head, causing him to chuckle.

"Finish your breakfast," he said.

Kyouko lifted an eyebrow.

"This doesn't feel right," she said.

"What doesn't?" he asked.

"_You_ scolding_ me_ about food," she said.

"I ate _my _breakfast," he said, and indeed, his meal was finished.

The Okami-san laughed and shook her head.

"We'll see you later, Kyouko-chan," she said, and left the two alone.

Once Kyouko finished her breakfast, Kuon dropped her off at her school. He would be back later for her graduation ceremony, and to take her to her party, but for now, they both had things that needed to get done.

* * *

><p>Kyouko half expected to wake up from this dream and find herself back in Kyoto, ready to start a day of cooking, cleaning, and performing the tea ceremony for strangers. She would wake up to find that Shou had sent her back from Tokyo, and the wonderful man who loved her and taught her how to love again would only be a concoction her broken heart had created to comfort her in her sleep.<p>

After all, how many broken hearted girls end up becoming famous actresses with famous actor boyfriends?

No matter how many times she pinched herself though, she did not wake up, and when her name was finally called, and the stiff paper of her diploma in her hand, she could no longer suspend her belief, and gave way to the tears that had been threatening to fall for the entire ceremony.

This was real. She was really happy And if she had any other doubts, there were plenty of people she dearly loved, and who dearly loved her, in the audience to remind her.

"Congratulations, Kyouko-chan," the Okami-san said, pulling her into a quick embrace.

Even the Taisho congratulated her with a smile and patter her on the arm.

Her other adoptive family was less restrained. The Hizuris had flown in for the occasion, and they were not about to fly across and entire ocean to settle for anything less than smothering embraces.

Kuu and Julie both bear hugged the girl, smiling and congratulating all the while.

Not to be outdone by newcomers in Kyouko's life, Kanae stepped forward, and yanked the girl forcefully to her chest.

"Congratulations," she said.

"M—Mouko-san!" Kyouko wailed, returning the girl's stiff embrace with double vigor.

"Yes, yes, happy graduation, hug over," Kanae said, not struggling very hard.

Kyouko stepped back, grinning from ear to ear.

Chiori stepped forward and timidly offered a hug and a word of congratulation as well.

"Thank you all so much for coming," Kyouko said. "It was so kind of you to come to my graduation as well as my party."

"As if I would miss my own daughter's graduation," Kuu said, smiling.

"Not _yet_ dear," Julie said, smiling.

"Eh? But I thought—" he began.

"Oh no!" Julie exclaimed.

"Eh? What's wrong?" Kyouko asked.

Julie stared at Kyouko, then the other females of the group, giving a deadly serious look.

Kyouko was beginning to worry when Julie spoke again.

"Do you realize that we have the party of the season to get ready for and only a few hours in which to do it?" she asked.

"Eh? Isn't that enough time?" Kyouko asked.

Julie let out a long sigh.

"Oh, Kyouko dear, you have no idea. First, we go to the spa. There's the sauna, facials, manicures and pedicures, the manicure is a definite must, then makeup and the clothes," Julie rattled off.

Kyouko had no idea getting ready could be so complicated, but then, Julie was a famous model. She was bound to know all sorts of beauty secrets that Kyouko was unaware of. The girl sparkled at the imagined beauty treatments.

"Alright girls," Julie said, "we don't have much time, let's go."

They all headed toward their vehicles. Julie rounded up all the ladies, including the Okami-san, and herded them towards her waiting Limo.

She turned back to her husband.

"The girls and I are taking the limo, dear, you'll have to ride with our son, but I'm sure a little father-son talk wouldn't go amiss," she said, then turning to her son, "You'd better succeed tonight, because if you don't, you'll have a lot more competition by the time I'm through."

Kyouko was too far into La La Land to try and make sense of what Julie had just said to Kuon. She simply sat back and enjoyed the ride, anticipating a wonderful night.

**AN: I tried to finish tonight. I really did. -_- Thanks for reading, reviewing, subscribing etc. Feel free to leave me a review if you'd like to let me know what you think :D**


	75. Chapter 75 Graduation: Part 2

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

When the girl of the hour arrived, everything seemed to still for a moment as the world caught its breath. She was beautiful. Satin caressed her skin and flowed like cream over every curve. Her eyes were shining with happiness as she glided into the room, friends and surrogate family at her side, more waiting within, along with the man she loved.

Kuon had to take a moment to get his heartbeat under control before he could approach the beautiful vision before him.

"You'd better hurry," Kuu said, leaning toward him. "The sharks are circling."

Indeed, all eyes had been on Kyouko since she entered the room, and more than a few of the men were looking very much as if they would like to join her. Everyone invited was someone known to Kyouko, so they should all have known she was taken, but Kuon wasn't taking any chances either way.

"You look beautiful," he said, approaching her.

Kyouko blushed.

"Your mo— I mean Okaasan," Kyouko said as she received a dirty look from Julie, "um, Okaasan was the one who designed the dress."

He smiled at his mother.

"I thought she should wear something special tonight," Julie said. "After all, a night like this doesn't happen twice."

Kuon gave her a look. It seemed that everyone was trying to give it away. Thankfully though, Kyouko was too absorbed in smoothing the fabric of her beautiful dress to notice the hint. Sometimes her obliviousness really was his saving grace.

"Kyouko," he said, pulling the girl out of her reverie, "Tonight, when you have a little time to yourself—"

"Onee-sama!" shouted a little curly haired torpedo.

The little girl stopped just short of crashing into her adored older sister and marveled.

"Wow! Onee-sama," Maria said, staring, "you're so beautiful!"

Kyouko blushed.

"It's the dress and the makeup," she said. "It's like casting a magic spell!"

"But the magic only works if you're already beautiful," Maria said. "Like Cinderella. She was already beautiful, but people didn't notice because they kept her in rags and made her act like a maid, but then when her prince found her, he could see right away that she was beautiful, just like Onee-sama."

Kuon smiled. He liked the way Maria told the story.

"Ah, th—thank you," Kyouko said, blushing.

"Oh! But besides telling you that," Maria said, "I wanted to give you my graduation present."

"Eh? You didn't have to get me anything, Maria-chan," Kyouko said. "You just being here is enough of a present for me."

"But I wanted to give you something too," Maria said. "Grandfather threw the whole party. I at least wanted to be able to give you a present."

"Thank you," Kyouko said.

"Don't thank me until I've given you the present," Maria said, reaching into a small purse and retrieving her gift. She handed the object to Kyouko and explained, "It's a love charm."

"A love charm?" Kyouko asked, glancing at Ren.

"For the protection of your love," Maria said. "I thought, since you are graduating from LoveMe."

"Thank you, Maria-chan! It's perfect," she said, bending down to hug the little girl. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Uh huh," she said, nodding. "It even has some of your and Kuon-sama's hair inside.

"I—I see," Kyouko said.

Kuon brought his hand to his mouth to hide his smile. He didn't know how Maria had gotten a hold of their hair, but the little girl _was_ resourceful, and she was obsessed with magic. He wasn't too terribly surprised.

The little girl rattled on for a while longer about the process of making the love charm and its effectiveness, before she was finally obliged to allow Kyouko to bestow her attention on another well wisher.

After a stream of congratulators, it finally seamed he would have a moment alone with her, but he was again interrupted when a spotlight clicked on, highlighting the girl before him, and a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Welcome one and all," came The President's booming voice, "to the very first LoveMe graduation of the founding member of the LoveMe section, Kyouko."

The girl blushed under the hot lights and the roar of the crowd.

"Please come to the stage," The President said.

The spotlight swept up a path to the stage, and Kyouko followed the light up to the dark platform. As soon as she reached it, it lit up and revealed the President decked out in full kingly regalia.

"Please kneel," The President said, pointing his scepter toward a cushion.

Kuon grinned. This was more like a coronation than a graduation, but it was just the sort of thing Kyouko would love.

Indeed, she looked like she was eating it up. The girl was kneeling in awe before her Company President turned King.

"I would again like to thank everyone for coming," he said. "This is a special event indeed, the graduation of LME's own Kyouko, from the LoveMe section."

The crowd cheered.

"Everyone here tonight knows this lovely young woman, and everyone here has been touched by her in some way. We are here tonight to celebrate the love that she has shared with all of us, and the love that she has shown to the world," he said.

There was more cheering and clapping.

"Considering the love this young woman has been brining into everyone's lives from the moment of her entering them, it might seem strange that it has taken this long to allow her to graduate, but today, we are not only celebrating that fact that Kyouko is loved, but that she loves. With this ability to love and be loved, I am able to proudly send her into the world, an emblem of love and a graduate of the LoveMe section," he said.

Instead of placing a medallion around her neck, or handing her a diploma, as was done at her high school graduation, The President reached out and placed a coronet on Kyouko's head.

"Please rise, first graduate of the LoveMe section," he said, helping her to stand.

She stood, blushing, facing an audience full of the faces of those she loved, those who had made her graduation possible, and with tears in her eyes, thanked them.

Once she descended from the stage, she was again thronged with people, congratulating her, hugging her, wishing her well, and altogether annoying Kuon.

He was thankful that Kyouko had so many people who cared about her, but right now, he wanted to get her alone. He could have done it already, as soon as she walked through the door. He could have called her up on stage, but though he wanted her to be able to share it with everyone important to them right away, he wanted the moment itself to be between the two or them.

He worked his way through the crowd to her side.

"Congratulations," he said.

"Thank you," she said, smiling shyly up at him. "I—it's thanks to you I was able to graduate. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have loved again."

"It's perfect then," he said, "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have loved at all."

She blushed, but smiled at the same time.

"Kyouko, would you come with me for a bit?" he asked. "I um, have something for you."

"Alright," she agreed.

He took her hand and lead her outside, picking up the object he needed from the coat check on the way out. He held it behind his back in one hand, the other still holding Kyouko's hand.

He lead her into the garden and sat her down on a bench.

"Kyouko, you are the most loving, kind and beautiful woman I have ever met," he said. "You also do some of the strangest things I have ever seen, but even those are just parts the unique things that make you who you are, and that make me love you."

Kyouko began to tear up, and he reached hi free hand to her face o brush away a tear.

"I can't even imagine being with another woman. I can't get enough of you," he said, presenting her with a single calla lily, "But I'd like to try."

Kyouko reached out and took the lily with a laugh.

"You really like to hide jewelry in flowers, don't you?" she asked, looking down at the ring placed over the flower's stamen.

"If it's the only way I can get you to accept it," he said.

"That depends on what I'm accepting," she said.

Kuon sighed.

"I thought you are going to make it obvious," she said.

He leaned in and kissed the smile off of her face.

"Mogami Kyouko," he said, voice breathy, inches from her face, "will you marry me?"

Kyouko nodded.

"Yes," she said.

They returned to the party and mounted the stage with another announcement to make.

There was more than one moist eye in the room when they announced the engagement. Though for some, namely President Takarada and Yashiro, moist was a bit of an understatement.

The couple was rushed and smothered with congratulations and hugs.

The evening turned out to be a celebration for graduation in more than one sense. Not only was Kyouko graduating from high school and the LoveMe section, but she and Kuon were graduating to a new stage in life.

The couple had grown and changed together to find a love that would withstand the most vicious and surpass the most idealistic gossip. Their love was more than rumors.

**AN: The end...of the main story. I will post an epilogue of sorts, probably something along the lines of the original idea for this story. Can you believe this started as an idea for a drabble? Anyway, ****I want to express my sincerest thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this. I hope it has brought you a little enjoyment. I've had a really fun time writing it, reading your reviews and talking with you. Thank you for all your support! And again, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, subscribed etc. Thank you so much, and if you'd like to let me know what you think, feel free to leave me a review :D**


	76. Chapter 76 Sleeping In

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

He liked the feel of the blood rushing back into his arm, the feel of needle pricks in his veins as her weight shifted from his arm to his chest. The slight discomfort reminded him that he wasn't dreaming, something he had to convince himself of anew every day.

So many times before, he had dreamed something like this, only to wake and find harsh reality in its place.

* * *

><p>He felt the warmth of her against him in his sleep. Kyouko, his love, his wife was beside him. She moved away and he captured her in his arms and tucked her safely under his chin.<p>

"Stay," he mumbled in his sleep.

She curled into him, soft and warm.

He was content, and then the harsh light of a camera flash cut into his dream and brought him, blinking, back into the real world.

He blearily opened his eyes to see a retreating form, and his manager crouched in the aisle of the bus with his camera phone pointed towards him.

"Oh, sorry," Yashiro said. "I didn't meant to wake you."

Ren looked confusedly around him, then, head clearing, he glanced down to find the girl he loved, laying against him, head resting over his heart, hand on his abdomen.

He caught his breath and his heart began to beat rapidly. He thought the sound would surely wake her, but she remained sleeping soundly.

"Got some good pictures," Yashiro said. "I'll send them to you."

"What?" Ren asked.

Yashiro's gloved hands began fiddling with his phone, and Ren's pocket buzzed, alerting him that he had messages.

He pulled the phone out if his pocket, using the hand that wasn't attached to the arm protectively draped around Kyouko.

He opened the image file he's been sent, and there they were. Kyouko was laying against his chest, much in the same position she was in now, and Ren had one arm around her shoulders, and his chin resting on her head.

They looked like lovers, not sempai and kohai, not friends.

"Delete it," he told Yashiro, before he was tempted to ask for the rest.

"What?" Yashiro asked. "But you're so cute together."

"Yashiro, do you honestly think anything good will come of this?" he asked. "She's not going to like this."

"She seems to like it well enough," Yashiro said with a grin.

"She's sleeping," Ren said.

"Then wake her up," he said, "but it would be a shame. She looks really comfortable in your arms."

"Yashiro," Ren growled.

"I'm just saying," Yashiro said, "maybe she just needs a little push to realize that it wouldn't be such an bad thing."

Ren glared.

"Ok, ok, I'm going back to my seat," he said. "But you really shouldn't be so paranoid, Ren. If she wasn't comfortable around you, she wouldn't well, she wouldn't do that."

Ren sighed.

Yashiro put his hands up defensively and returned to his seat.

By the time they had arrived back at the studio though, that picture, or a variation of it had made its rounds throughout the bus.

Kyouko had woken up just before they arrived at the studio. She had pressed her face closer to Ren's chest, made a little whimper as she woke, and then pushed herself away from him so fast and so hard that she had nearly fallen into the aisle.

"Mogami-san?" Ren said, suddenly feeling cold air replace the warmth of Kyouko's body.

The girl was bright Ren, and tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I—I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I—I didn't mean to, um, fall asleep on you. I'm sorry for treating my respected sempai like a hot water bottle or a pillow. I shouldn't have fallen asleep! Why didn't you wake me up? I should never have—"

"Mogami-san, please calm down. It's fine," he said. "I fell asleep for a while too, so it looks like we both used each other as pillows."

"Yes, b—but as your kohai, I should never have been so impertinent as to fall asleep on you," she said, blushing even brighter.

"Mogami-san, it's really fine," he said. "Please don't worry about it anymore. It's not a big deal."

"B—but I—"

"You can just think of it as payback," he said with a smile.

Kyouko blushed again.

"But what if people think—" she began.

"Mogami-san, what could possibly come of a little incident like this?" he asked, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I—I guess you're right," Kyouko said.

* * *

><p>Kuon was extremely pleased at just how wrong he had been. If it wasn't for the rumor that photo had caused, Kyouko might never have believed that it would be alright to date him, and he might still be pursuing his unrequited love, instead of holding his wife in his arms, as he was now.<p>

He felt her begin to roll away from him, and he stopped her by curling his only partially awakened arm around her and puller her against him so that her back rested against his chest.

"Stay," he said, without opening his eyes.

He felt her move against him and her weight shift on the bed, and he cracked an eye open. She had rolled over to face him, and was propped on her elbows, hovering over his face.

"I have to get up and start cooking," she said. "Your parents are flying in today, remember?"

Kuon groaned.

"Five more minutes?" he asked, giving her sleepy puppy dog eyes, something he had come to discover was even more effective than regular puppy dog eyes.

Kyouko buried her face in his chest so as not to come face to face with his pouting expression.

"But five minutes with you means at least another fifteen," she said, "and if I don't start cooking now, how am I possibly going to have enough food ready by the time Otousan arrives."

"He can cook for himself, you know," Kuon mumbled.

Kyouko giggled and popped up to look at him.

"Are you jealous?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and turned his head away.

Kyouko leaned down and placed a kiss on each of his closed eyelids, then his nose and finally his mouth.

"You know I love you the most," she said, "but I need to start cooking."

"Five more minutes," he said, upping the puppy dog level.

"You know, despite being one of the least lazy people I have ever met, you sure do love your bed a lot, don't you?" she said, leaning down to nuzzle him with her nose.

Kuon gave a throaty growl, threw his arms around her and pulled her down on top of him, pinning her so she couldn't escape.

She let out a surprised squeak.

"It's not the bed," he said, "It's the company."

"Ok, five more minutes," she said into his chest.

"Fifteen," he said.

"Eh? But you said—" she began.

"You're trapped now," he said with a grin. "You're at my mercy."

"You know I'll get you for this later," Kyouko said.

"How?" he asked, challenging her.

"How does a 24oz steak sound for dinner?" she asked.

"Worth it," he said.

He swept the blankets up over their heads and pulled her against him, tucking her under his chin.

"Totally worth it."

**AN: And there you have it, the original idea behind this whole story, a numb arm :D I just cannot make myself care about weddings, so a little post married fluff was the best I could do.**** Now it's really really really the end. Hope you have enjoyed the story. Again, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read, review subscribe, etc, and who has stuck with it for this long. I'm really grateful to all of you who have offered your input and support along the way. Thank you for making this a worthwhile experience! If you'd like to share any of your thoughts, feel free to leave me a review :D **


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